Think We Could Catch Up? (Alexandria)

Nelle smiled and waved at the older woman who she had helped get down some Potions supplies from a high shelf. As soon as the woman was out of sight, the smile dropped from her face and she continued reading down the list of school supplies that she would need for the following year. The list wasn’t overly long, and she had already collected everything else she would need.

A few days earlier, she had sent an owl to one of the few people in her house at Hogwarts that she could actually tolerate. Emphasis on the word tolerate. The main reason that she had asked Alexandria to meet her was because that is what she’d heard other people did in the holidays. They organised to meet up with their friends and spend time together. And Nelle, more than anyone, wanted to act like ‘most people’.

With her things packed in to a bag that she had had extended with a charm, she walked down the street and entered a café. The place was pretty quiet, which she was thankful for, and as she chose a seat she wondered if Alexandria would actually show. She hadn’t received a reply, but she figured that she would try waiting to see. Waiting off a waitress, the Hufflepuff placed her things down next to an empty table and took a seat, ready to wait.

Alex was surprised to receive the owl form Nelle because the girl had always seemed so distant. It wasn't that she wasn't nice, Alex believed that Nelle was one of the sweetest person she had met, she was always so ready to help everyone and sure some people were scared of her but Alex supposed it was because she always stood for the right and it just added more nobility to Nelle's character than took any of it away. She hadn't replied because her parents disliked any of her magical artifacts, always telling her to lock the 'freak stuff' away and act normal for the holidays. Their repulsion was also the reason that Alex spent each year shopping alone but it seemed this year she might have some company. The thought cheered her up a lot.

This is the place she mentioned, right? She wondered, checking the cafe and alternatively the letter. Relief flooded her as she managed to locate the girl and in her flustered path to the girl, she knocked down some poor sould, blushing furiously and apologizing profusely. "Hi Nelle." She greeted, smiling shyly as she reached the girl, feeling a bit awkward and wondering how exactly she was supposed to behave. She had never had many friends and certainly had never planned to meet them in the holidays, the lack of initiative from their side dampening her efforts too. "Have you finished with your supplies? Uh, I mean, have you bought all your supplies?"

When the girl finally arrived, Nelle pasted a smile on her face and spoke brightly, "Hi Alexandria!" Nelle often thought about the reason that she disliked Hufflepuffs so much, and she was sure that it was their naivety. For some reason, many of them tended to think that everything was going smoothly when really, it wasn't going well at all. There were a select few that happened to be a little more intelligent, and for the most part she was sure that Alexandria was somewhat intelligent. But she had a habit of seeing the good in people who really didn't have all that much of it. Like herself.

"Yes, I have," she said, her voice still as cheerful as before. That was the way she tended to be around her housemates, and she found that it was an automatic thing since she'd been doing it for so long. "Everything is in this bag," she said, gesturing to the small handbag that was on the floor. "I'd love to come with you to get your stuff, though."

Alex had been looking around for the bags of supplies but stopped as Nelle gestured to her bag. "Oh, of course." She replied, blushing at her lack of knowledge as she took a seat. Magic didn't come naturally to her, she had been brought up in a muggle environment and the use of magic in everyday observation always caused her to take a pause. "Thank you!" She replied, cheering up on hearing Nelle's cheerful voice. "I don't know where to start, I try taking a different route each time. This time I guess I will start with the robes. The seamstress is so scary, she always looks like she is imagining ways to skewer me." Alex explained, shuddering a little in the end. "She does make very nice robes though." She added thoughtfully, surveying the menu. "What did you begin with?"

Nelle couldn't help but laugh at the comment about Madam Malkin. She had to admit that the woman seemed to have something shoved fair up her- she wasn't the most pleasant of people to be around. But she was very good at her job. "It's alright," the Hufflepuff said, "I'll make sure that she doesn't prick you." It didn't take Nelle long to remember where she had begun, and she looked down slightly in mock embarrassment. "I started to the completely necessary purchasing of sweet, of course! How unbearable would the school term be without them? Though, I'll admit I prefer Honeydukes. We finally get to go to Hogsmeade this year!" This time her excitement was somewhat genuine. She really was looking forward to the snippets of freedom that they would be allowed that year.

Alex felt her smile widen as she heard Nelle laugh, feeling more comfortable as the time passed. "No no, its fine, I suppose I should just get over my fear." She insisted, not wanting to trouble Nelle with something as trivial as her stupid fear of sharp things. She was thirteen now, she should really get a grip on herself. She giggled as Nelle shared what had been her first stop, "Well yes, sweets do rank higher on the list of necessity than books and potion supplies at least." She had never been such a fan of sweets, preferring spicy concoctions over the sweet ones but she enjoyed the occasional Chocolate Frog or Licorice Wand but her favorite was Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean. "I must remember to stop by that shop."

"Oh yes! Hogsmeade! Merlin's beard!" She cursed, biting her lips as she remembered she had yet to get her parents to sign the permission form. "I haven't got permission yet, but I have heard its the best village around. I especially want to see the post office!" Alex loved animals and she had heard that the owlery there was very organized, a point appealing to her mild OCD and love for animals simultaneously. "How were your holidays, Nelle?"

Nelle listened, and nodded slowly when Alexandria mentioned that it was a real fear of here's. She thought that at least the girl feared something, even if it was something that was relatively minuscule compared to what there was to truly fear in the world. "Either way, I shall still come," she replied, her lips curving in to another smile. She wouldn't mind accompanying the girl all too much, she was sure. At least it was better than sitting around at home. "Of course they do," Nelle said, smirking, "what would we do if it wasn't for food?" Nelle had to admit that she was a huge food lover, especially sweet things.

"Neither have I," the girl admitted. There had been so much going on that summer that she hadn't gotten the chance to ask one of her guardians to sign the forms. Not to mention to complications that could arise if they did sign the forms. Perhaps she would fake a signature or ask her newly found grandfather to do it. Shaking her head slightly, to clear her thoughts, she smiled, "My holidays have been great!" she lied easily, "but I'm looking forward to returning to Hogwarts."

"Thank you." Alex answered simply, her sincerity making up for her lack of eloquence, lips curving up automatically into another smile in reply. Truthfully, Alex wasn't that good with friends, she worried too much and was usually the one who pointed out what could go wrong in various scenarios. "Sleeping through History of Magic for one." Alex replied, remembering how the only way she managed to stay awake through the horribly boring class was to overload on sweets. Made her handwriting a bit hard to decipher later, but at least she had complete notes.

"Oh well, there is still a lot of time left before the beginning of the term." She answered hopefully, trying to imagine ways to bring up this topic at home. All of the things her vivid imagination came up with left her wincing. Instead, she focused on Nelle's response and smiled genuinely at the girl's words not being able to tell that she was lying. "That is awesome! I wish you continue to have fun." When Alex said it, she really wished it to be so. "Of course, I do too. Its funny how people say that they always miss home from school and school from home but I wouldn't mind being in Hogwarts all year round." She mused, startled by her thoughts when the waitress arrived. "Have you decided what to order?" She asked in concern, placing Nelle before her in the preference.