Friends... sort of

[Deleted]

@margaux

Sim enjoyed being at Hogwarts. So many accidents were just waiting to happen, which meant that Maddox was happy as well. She also loved the architecture, the way it changed, especially the staircases. She was currently riding a staircase across the large stairwell.
"If you were to push someone off of this, you could tend to their wounds once they hit the bottom." Maddox whispered. I don't think it is a good idea to cause problems so soon after transferring here. she countered. Grudgingly, Maddox agreed wit her. It might prevent them for doing further activities that might be frowned on if someone suspected them.

It was here Sim saw someone she thought could be a useful person to get to know. As she leaned over the railing she saw a beautiful girl who was very obviously manipulating a first year. She was a fairly good manipulator, or at least Maddox thought so. However, she was happy to learn any new skills she could. This girl could help her. And so she walked down the stairs, just at the little first year ran off. "You need a good reason to talk to her. Ask for directions." Maddox said. Not a bad idea.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me how to get to the charms classroom?" she asked saying the first class that came to her mind. Here in Hogwarts, her American accent stood out, but she didn't mind, ti would make her all the more memorable when she save these people.

[Deleted]

There were certainly aspects of Hogwarts that Margaux liked; particularly the easy way the young ones minds would bend to her will. All she needed to do was turn on that Veela charm and she had them eating out of the palm of her hand. This particular first year was being subject to a particularly mild command of holding her things for her so that she could be free to glide about the castle without the hinderance of anything as trivial as books holding her down. She watched as a girl with platinum blonde hair walked down the stairs to her; she waved the first year to start on ahead of her as she appraised the newcomer. This was a girl around her own age, in Hogwarts robes. There was something about her though...something different. It hit her when the girl opened her mouth; she was American, for sure. The people from around here definitely didn’t sound like that.

Margaux gestured to her powder blue silk robes and gave the girl a pointed smile that did not quite reach her eyes. “Malheureusement for you, I am not a ‘Ogwart student, nor do I care to know where ‘ze Charms classroom is,” she said with a little shake of her head. Snapping her fingers, the first year came trotting back. “Zis leetle boy can show you ze way, can’t you?” she crooned, gently running one finger down the boys cheek. He nodded, eager as always to be of assistance. Pausing, she looked over the girl once more. “Or...you can say you got lost and just skeep ze class,” she countered, watching the girl carefully. Personally, she found herself to be far more interesting than a class, but that was her opinion.

@simralin

[Deleted]

@margaux

French? She was not expecting that. though she should have guessed. The blue robes said she was from one of the visiting schools, which one was it? Well which ever the French one was. Beaubaxtons Maddox reminded her. Ah, right. Then the girl called over the first year boy, stroking him in a very suggestive manner. The girl must have some sort of magnetism to keep a hold over that boy. The girl seemed to turn that same magnetism on Sim when she asked her if she would rather just skip class. Would she? Yes, and no. While she did actually know how to get to the Charms classroom, she was still pretty new here. She had to keep her perfect image up. No need for the adults to become wise to what she was doing. However, getting lost was a valid excuse. Particularly if she showed up at the end of class. You need to learn what this girl has to offer. Maddox whispered. Your idea is sound, just show up at the end. For now, stay with the girl."

"And If I were to skip class, what would you suggest I do to fill my time?" she asked, a smile of her own on her face.

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Margaux knew the girl was watching her; she normally wasn’t so..suggestive with someone as young as a first year. But she enjoyed the attention; she liked people to know right off the bat of what she was capable of. “Why, you could spend time with moi, trying to find out just where any of ‘zose locked doors of ‘Ogwarts lead to,” she told Sim, her voice a smooth purr. She cocked her head to the side, studying the Hogwarts student. The red lining on her robes signalled Gryffindor, however she did have something a bit of a…..conniving air about her. She had a feeling she would like this girl. “You do not sound like ze typical English student, ‘ere. Where are you from?” she asked her curiously, then gave a tinkling laugh. “Pardonnez-moi, where are my manners? I am Margaux Schuyler, enchantee,” she said, extending her slender hand to her.

@simralin

[Deleted]

@margaux

The locked doors of Hogwarts? At least that is what she thought the girl had said, her accent was a little difficult for Sim to decipher. Probably because she hadn't grown up with anything similar. It would be useful to know every room in the castle, for escape routes. Maddox chimed softly. And so Sim nodded. "That does sound intriguing." She admitted to the girl. So long as she made an appearance at the end of Charms she would be fine.

"I am from America, I actually just transferred here a few weeks ago." She answered. Many times she found that her being a transfer student would encourage others to take pity on her, whether those people be interesting to her or not was a different story. This girl? So far, she seemed like someone Sim should get to know. But don't let her get to close. We don't want a repeat of February." Maddox warned. That was a good point. She shouldn't get to close to anyone, but she had to have something that resembled friends. Even if they could never actually be like the real thing.

"Pardon my manners, American as they are. I'm Simralin Jones, but you can call me Sim." She replied to the girl, Margaux. A friend. That was something she could use. "Where did you want to go first?"

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Margaux nodded along as Sim said she was a transfer from America. She knew that American witches and wizards were by law segregated from Muggles; something she couldn’t agree more with. “Zat eez Ilvermorny, non?” she asked, making conversation with the girl. While she loved Beauxbatons, sometimes she wondered what it would be like to attend a school abroad, like Durmstrang or perhaps even Ilvermorny. She certainly would have met Maria sooner if she had gone to Durmstrang, and that could have made things more interesting.

“Simralin? What an interesting name!” Margaux exclaimed, deciding that at least for the time being Sim would make a decent enough comrade; she was new, which meant she was impressionable. She had time to be swayed from making friends with the silly little Hufflepuffs or whatever, and join the real men and women. “‘Ow did your parents come up with it?” she asked curiously. She knew her own name was French, her parents were French, and that was that. Simralin was different though; very different. She found herself curious about the American, wanting to know more.

@simralin

[Deleted]

@margaux

Sim grinned at Margaux. "Yes, it is. Actually if was pretty wonderful." she replied to the girl thinking back to the American school. She had learned so much there, and not just from the professors. No she had learned how to manipulate, to an extent, but also how to get on every teacher's good side, no matter what they initially thought of her. That, that, was the skill she was most proud of. If the teachers loved you, they never suspected you.

How had her parents come up with her name... She hadn't ever bothered to ask. Maddox just came with a name, nothing behind that. But that wouldn't do. Not when gaining people's trust, not when they expect something. "It was actually a combination of my grandparents names." she lied quickly, Maddox supplying the details. "Sim, was my paternal grandma's nickname, and Railn was my maternal grandma's name. they didn't want to make either of them mad so smashed their names together. Quite effectively I think." She smiled at Margaux, that was a very good story. Good job. she said to Maddox. 'You know it was nothing. besides, we need her to like us, not having a story for your name could have made her uninterested.' That was a good point. Once again, Sim was glad Maddox was there, helping her think through things like this.

"So how are you enjoying Hogwarts so far? I would guess it is way different from your school, at least I know it is very different from Illvermorny." Conersation was what they needed now. Keep it going. Don't let it stop.

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Margaux nodded along as Sim told her about how her parents had come up with her name. Truth be told she didn’t care all that much but conversation must be had and it was what Margaux had first come up with anyway. “‘Ow charming,” she said, giving the girl a smile. “Moi, my parents just liked ze name Margaux, nothing too…’ow you say, crazy? About zat,” she said, shrugging her shoulders delicately. They walked up the stairs to Margauxs destination, a tapestry of trolls dancing the ballet. “Voila!” she said, showcasing the tapestry.

She smirked; it did not of course look like all that much, but a source had told her that by pressing the troll to the lefts belly it would reveal a passage way. “Zey say zat a passage way is ‘ere, but only ze brilliant ones may access it,” she told Sim conspiratorially. She gestured to the tapestry. “Would you like to try first?” she asked, cocking her head to one side. She was testing the girl, of course, but she wanted to see what this girl was capable of.


@simralin

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@margaux

This girl seemed to be great at conversation, a skill that was incredibly useful in modern society. She told about her name as they crested the top of a staircase. She gestured to a tapestry of dancing trolls. It was rather ugly, but Sim didn't say anything. That was, she didn't say anything until Margaux issued the challenge. True, to someone else it may have just been a suggestion. But Sim was too much like this girl to be that naieve. This was a test. Only the brilliant ones? Well, she could be brilliant.

"Sure thing." Sim said, stepping up to study the tapestry. She didn't have to look long. There was a magical bulge on the belly, the only reason she noticed it was because she had used a similar spell on one of hr diary's. A spot she only knew, and it revealed a secret part to the journal. She pressed her wand against the bulge then looked back at Margaux as the passage opened silently. "Guess I'm brilliant."

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Margaux raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, impressed by the girl. “I suppose you must be,” she said, amused. She jerked her head gracefully, motioning for Sim to follow her up the set of stairs that the tapestry was revealing. As they walked up the first few steps, a grinding noise was heard and the passageway closed itself behind them. “Only way to go now is up,” she said, smirking slightly. They continued to climb; something Margaux had noticed about this particular passageway is that it happened to come out somewhere different each time. It definitely gave the castle something interesting to go for it; it made up a little for how ugly it was.


Finally, the passageway ended and Margaux pushed on the stone outline of a door; the wall jutted out and they stepped out into a hallway. She looked back to see the wall closing back, the suit of armor protecting it once more. She wrinkled her nose - suits of armor were hideous. “So Simralin, what else is zere zat I should know about you?” she asked the girl suddenly, crossing her arms. She didn’t know what part of the castle they were in; high up for certain she could see how small the trees look from the window to her left. But right now, that didn’t matter.

@simralin

[Deleted]

@margaux

The pair walked up the stairs, marching for what could have been an hour, or even just a few minutes. Either way, the stairs were torture. "I don't like this girl. She makes us walk." Maddox complained, even as they reached the top of the staircase. Oh hush, you said so yourself, we need her to like us. She stepped out of the stairwell and into a hallway. The door slid closed behind them and Sim didn't miss the look of disgust on Margaux's face when the suit of armor came into view. What was it about the armor she didn't like? Or maybe she didn't like being up here with Sim. Either way, it was too late.

"I'm crazy." Sim replied off handedly as she ran her fingers through the full length of her hair, extending the tresses behind her. She found that people didn't believe her when she told them the truth, since it was a common phrase in America. Supposedly, girls her age used the phrase to mean they enjoyed having a good time. "What about you, french girl? Any deep dark secrets you need to get off your chest?" A knowing look shot over her shoulder at Margaux, as well as a grin, would hopefully mark her as trustworthy.

[Deleted]

Margaux glanced back carelessly as the blonde girl followed her out of the passageway, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she crossed over to the large window and hopped up onto the stone ledge, taking a seat with one leg draped on either side of the sill. She raised a brow at the girls ‘I’m crazy’ remark. “What eez zis...crazy you speak of?” she asked, sounding more curious than cautious. So far, Sim had not really shown any facets of crazy, but then again she had noticed sometimes the girl took a beat longer to respond than perhaps she ought to.


At her question, Margaux tossed her hair back and laughed. “Darling, I am an open book,” she purred teasingly. “I do not make it a secret zat most of ze Beauxbatons boys ‘ere ‘ave shared my bed wiz me at some point, including ze Champion himself. Competitive boy ‘e eez, made for an interessant time.” She winked, taking a lock of her hair and twisting it around her fingers. “Now, my attention ‘as been taken by two of ze Durmstrangs, oo are cousins,” she said, shrugging indifferently. “What about you, oo ‘as taken your eenterest ‘ere at ‘Ogwarts?” she asked the girl.

@simralin