Words To Me

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio enjoyed taking muggle studies and wanted to keep his options open to study whatever he wanted in his later years of school to cater to whichever career he chose, but simply enjoying the subject and knowing it would be useful for many different careers did not change how difficult the subject was for him to understand. Learning about how muggles lived and the technology they used was endlessly fascinating and useful for him to know, but Flavio often found himself with a level of confusion surrounding technology as it was so different to what he knew. Growing up surrounded by magic had certainly left him with a level of ignorance to the Muggle world that he could not shake. Though he conveniently had a friend with a different perspective who grew up in a world without magic, only to be thrown into the magical world when she began school and fortunately enough this friend had agreed to help him study and understand the muggle world. He was thankful that November had put time aside to study with him, especially when she clearly knew many things about muggle life from first hand experience, and had organized for their study session to be in the courtyard. The fresh air would help him clear his mind and focus on understanding everything November explained to him. At least it was supposed to clear his mind in theory, and Flavio remained optimistic that he would be able to focus and understand a subject that was confusing for him when he arrived to the spot he was supposed to study. He sat down on the bench and placed down his books before picking up his notebook and flicking through his Muggle studies notes, waiting for his friend to arrive and explain everything to him.​

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[November Albertson]

November didn't mind taking Muggle Studies, she found it funny most of the time, seeing how much her wizard friends really had no idea about things from the muggle world. She was headed to the Courtyard to help Flavio in the class. Not many knew she was muggleborn at the school but she didn't mind if someone like Flavio knew. Amber might know if Ainsley or Noemie told her, that she would mind. Pushing through the door she eyes locked on Flavio, exactly where their friendship began during last year. She thought it was funny how far they had come since then. He was her closest friend and also her biggest crush at the moment. It was hard liking him, when she knew he'd never notice her and would most likely end up with Amber instead of herself. "Hey!" She said as she moved over to the bench he was on and plopped down next to him.
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[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio looked up from his notebook at the sound of November's voice and smiled as she sat down next to him. Explaining the muggle world to him was not going to be an easy task. Between his general ignorance of how to live without magic and his recent habit of becoming distracted in classes it was going to be a feat more than anything, and draining for November who likely thought the things he did not understand were common sense. But November was willing to help him understand regardless of the time it would take and he was incredibly thankful that she agreed to make the effort to help him. "Hello." Flavio greeted November, before showing her one of the pages that was open in his notebook. The last thing he needed was to further confuse himself in thoughts over his friend when his priority was to study, so he did not wait a second longer to ask her one of the many questions he had. "I had trouble with understanding electricity last year, and now that we are learning about communications I am more confused. I have it written down here that communication devices like telephones run on electricity, but what I do not understand is where this electricity comes from. Is there a source in muggle homes that the devices respond to?" He asked, looking from his notebook and to November. It was a long winded question that likely had a long winded answer, but Flavio was more than happy to listen to whatever November said for the sake of finally understanding something that confused him.​

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[November Albertson]

November sighed on the inside as her friend greeted her and started right into his issues with Muggle Studies. The things he didn't understand were things she had always taken for granted. She sat back on the bench glancing at the page he showed her and thought about how to explain how electricity worked. It was rather complicated, and was just something she knew but it had taken her awhile to figure out how she could explain the subject to her friend. She brought her cell phone from the dorms down with her so he could have a second opportunity to play with the item, although it didn't work on the castle grounds. Something about electricity and magic contradicted each other. "It's not too complicated, try not to make it complicated in your mind," she said in her usual gentle tone. "Electricity is, it's kind of like magic. How does magic work? It's like asking you that question when you ask how does Electricity work to me. But basically, lightening in the sky right, that's electricity, but way more powerful that anything muggles have in their houses. Most houses are fed electricity through wire, do you know what wire is? Metal than conducts, by that I mean transmits, electricity," November said her hands moving as a way to try to demonstrate wire and electricity with the plain air. "So the wire brings the electricity into the house and then it goes through this panel called a fuse box. This allows the electricity to be distributed to all the rooms in the house that are wired for electricity. Without wires, electricity isn't able to happen really, you wouldn't be able to do anything with it," she said trying to explain a house set the best she could. Although, she wasn't too sure she got the idea of the fusebox correct or not. She figured it would come up on an exam though. "Here, this is my cell phone. The phone you can take out of the house. The back here opens up and this," she said pulling out a small box rectangle shaped item, "is the battery. This takes the electricity from the wire and stores it and then also distributes the electricity throughout the phone." She said demonstrating how the wire connected to the phone. The machine was useless here, but she thought it was good enough to show him how electricity would be put into the phone. At the moment it was dead, zapped of life by all the magic in the air.
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[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Upon making plans to have November help him with Muggle studies Flavio believed it was a good idea, one that would help him finally understand an important part of the muggle world that was confusing to him. He did not consider how much of a terrible idea it would turn out to be until November sat next to him, kindly and patiently explaining what he had asked her, only to have her words drowned out and his thoughts drift into another world while he watched her speak. Absent mindedly, Flavio nodded along, even looking away from her to watch as she pulled out a cellphone to explain how the battery was connected. When she stopped speaking Flavio realized he missed everything she said. He smiled sheepishly. "I am sorry. I missed all of that." He admitted, cringing inwardly at the fact he could not force himself to pay attention, even when November had kindly agreed to put her own time aside to help him out of class. "Can you explain it again, please?" Flavio felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment at his actions and the thoughts still present in his mind but he tried to put it all aside, hoping that he would be able to pay attention if November explained the concept of electricity a second time.​

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[November Albertson]

November stopped and waited for Flavio response about electricity and the battery in her phone worked. But she was surprised when he said he missed all of it. He had seemed to have been paying attention before it didn't make any sense to her. She felt like getting upset with the boy for not paying attention and slapping him on the backside of his head. But she refrained, wondering maybe there was something else on his mind. "Is there something else that distracted you Flavio? We don't have to go over this now if you're not going to be able to focus on it. It's a lot to learn and try to understand, I get that," she said looking over her friend feeling her heart beat faster when she did. He looked incredible, he was the most handsome guy in their year and probably the school as well. She didn't understand why other girls didn't see that. Although, Amber probably did and was probably planning on getting together with Flavio because of his charm and looks. Also the fact she knew about November's crush, what a way to get back at November for the incident in Herbology by dating her crush.
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[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio felt his cheeks flush a darker shade of pink as November asked what had him distracted. He was sure if she repeated her explanation he would be able to listen, but instead of complying and repeating herself November wanted him to explain his actions. Talking about anything other than school seemed like walking into a danger zone where he could say something wrong and risk losing a friendship he cherished, especially when November was the entire reason he was distracted in the first place and mentioning his thoughts to her would put him in a vulnerable position he wasn't ready for. Though no matter how hesitant he was to be honest, it seemed like he did not have a choice but to give her an answer when she had asked directly, he was evidently blushing, and his mind was elsewhere despite how much he knew he needed to pay attention and understand the way electricity worked for the sake of his grades. Flavio looked away from November and to the ground, sighing as he conjured an answer, opting to eventually put his thoughts into the form of a question that told her the truth but not blatantly. "Okay, I will tell you." He said, still keeping his eyes away from November as he spoke and trying not to make it obvious his words were about her. "I, sort of maybe, like one of my friends. I am not really sure to be honest. It is very confusing." He said. "I just think about them a lot, wondering if I do like them, or if they like me back. This is why I am distracted. I know I should be thinking about school but I am still distracted by them." He sighed again, returning his gaze to November once he had finished speaking so he could gauge her reaction.​

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[November Albertson]

November was confused as to why Flavio seemed to be turning bright red. She opted for the answer to her question that he was embarrassed for being distracted while she tried to help him understand. She was beginning to hope that there wouldn't be any questions about electricity on their exam this year, feeling as though it would take more than an afternoon for the boy to understand the subject. She was surprised when he actually let out what was bothering him. Sitting back she listened to his words feeling her breath stop in it's tracks. While she often thought about who Flavio might like and ignoring the rumors floating around that he was gay and with a boy in their year, his Slytherin friend. But now, she didn't know. She hoped he would someday share the feelings she had towards him, but it didn't seem as though he did. She wondered if he knew how much Amber disliked her, liking that girl Flavio would probably side with Amber on things and she could feel her closest friendship slipping away. As he looked back towards her November glanced away trying to come up with an appropriate response. "Oh well," she said as a filler to the words she wanted to say but couldn't. "Maybe, just try to get through the semester and then see if your feelings change during break. If you still like the person when you see them in September then maybe it's something, uh, real. If not, then you wouldn't have risked putting yourself out there only to find you don't like them that much," November said looking down at the Muggle Studies book that was between them. It was hard to say but November knew that she wanted Flavio to be happy, if that meant he had feelings for Amber she'd try her hardest from now to be nice to the girl, even when the girl wasn't nice in return.
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