Adventures in people watching. (Georgiana)

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It was rare for Daniel to have a reason to be in the courtyard, it was more of a place where people came to meet others and be with friends. Neither of which was on his list of things to do. Still that's where Daniel was as he found a quiet place to sit and relax just after his last class. It wasn't a terrible place to be but he just never had much to do there besides sit back and wait for the next class to start or kill some time. People ran around and had fun around him as he watched on. Most would feel like joining in but he just thought back to what his friends back home might be doing right now. Would they have had fun in a courtyard like this or would have it been wrecked by some prank first.

As he resigned himself to just people watching for a little bit it didn't help with the bitter feeling he had of being alone. All these people had groups they could go to, to join and friends to count on and here he was watching from the sidelines. Still that was his life right now till he got home or wanted to change it. Daniel watched as one group stood out to him as they seemed to be playing keep away from a younger student. It seemed like two fourth years and the middle kid was a first year from what Daniel assumed based on size. He watched closely as the joke had now lasted longer than he liked and the first year was almost in tears.

Daniel sighed as he finally deciding to step in if no one else had but he didn't plan on leaving his spot. He merely pulled out his wand from his bag and pointed it toward the bag the two fourth years were tossing to each other just out of reach from the first year. "Locomotor." Daniel said just loud enough so it would work while no one else could really hear him. The bag froze in the air for a second before he flicked his wand and it flew in the direction it was already going with more force and speed than before. The fourth year couldn't catch it with his hands in time but his face sure did. The first year had enough time to grab his bag and flee while the two fourth years now argued about what had just happened. Daniel just shrugged, "That was my good deed for the day." Daniel told himself as he put his wand away before anyone could hopefully notice he had done anything.

@georgiana

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Georgie didn’t like being in the courtyard, especially during the springtime. The chances that there would be an unexpected rain were just too high, and Georgie hated being caught out in the rain. She swore that visions that came from rainwater were more difficult to shake than the ones that came from other kinds of water. It was ridiculous, because all water was the same, but that was Georgie for you. She was out in the courtyard today, though, because there was not a cloud in sight, and the Hufflepuff common room was, as usual, too crowded for her own liking. The courtyard wasn’t much better, but at least it was an open space so the noise didn’t bounce around as much. She was slightly irked by the fact that there seemed to be a game of Monkey in the Middle going on, with the monkey obviously being much younger than the other two students who were throwing the bag. She considered intervening – being the hero of Hufflepuff and everything – but then she saw another boy watching. He wasn’t sitting far away from her – close enough, in fact, that Georgie noticed when he took out his wand. She stood up slowly, and began walking closer to him, watching as the bag hit one of the bullies in the face before being reclaimed by its owner. The boy who had engineered the whole thing muttered something to himself, and while Georgie couldn’t make out the words, she sure as hell recognized the accent. It was distinctly not British, and for a moment, her stomach clenched as she thought of South Carolina, and her mother who was there. It wasn’t worth getting upset about, Georgie reminded herself as she sat next to the strange boy.

“Nice accent.” The Hufflepuff drawled, emphasizing the twang in her own Southern accent. “I didn’t realize that the American invasion had spread this much.” She said, her voice still humorless. There was that girl Lance had met in the book store, and all of her family, and then her and Lance… and apparently this boy, too. That was at least four Americans, which was impressive for a school that was hundreds of miles away from America. Georgie didn’t introduce herself or anything, just sat there, waiting for the boy to offer words in return.

@crimson1

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At this point the two idiots were now almost fighting each other as they argued about who was at fault. The person throwing the bag or the one who should have caught it. Neither were right and if he would have known they would keep fighting Daniel might have given the bag more force to knock one of them out. That thought did give him a small laugh and smirk, he wasn't a mean person but some people just deserved it. As the two argued out of the courtyard and back inside the castle he felt they did deserve it.

Peace and a small amount of quiet returned with them gone but was broken once more by someone speaking near Daniel. Turning toward it he found a blonde girl was speaking to him in a American southern accent. He was used to it back home but here it stuck out even more, Daniel assumed he was just used to British accents now more than anything. "I could say the same," he replied at her realization of another American at Hogwarts. It wasn't a common thing, he could only probably name one other. "I guess we're just the first wave." With a quick laugh he did wonder why she just walked up from no where but he didn't mind right now. Just knowing there was another American here at Hogwarts was interesting information. "I'm Daniel by the way. We can figure out the secret American handshake later."

@georgiana

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Georgie cracked a smile when the boy said that he could say the same about her accent being nice. His wasn’t as Southern as hers, but it was still distinctly American, and Georgie once again wondered if she was ever going to be able to associate America with home again. Probably not. But if she could, having another person speak the same way as her, even if it wasn’t an exact copy, would remind her of home. So Georgie hoped that she was sort of doing a good deed of her own by talking to this American boy, even if it was just talking. She smirked a little at him saying that they were just the first wave of Americans. She couldn’t imagine why anyone else would choose to come over to Britain… but then again, she hadn’t exactly had a choice in the first place. Georgie would ask the boy if it had been his choice, but that seemed a poor conversation starter for someone she had literally just met. “I’m Georgie. Well, Georgiana, but Georgie is preferred.” Georgiana was fine, too, but Georgie had been going by her nickname for what felt like forever, mostly because Brits couldn’t seem to get the intonation on her full name right. “Who says we need a secret handshake? We can just flick each other off or something.” She said with a chuckle. Americans weren’t exactly known for their mild tempers, but Georgie also didn’t think the teachers would be all too pleased if she just started flicking off a random boy every time they passed in the halls. The professors, sadly, didn’t seem to understand her sense of humor.

@crimson1

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Daniel took a second to think of why there might have been another American here at the school. Still they could have a totally different reason for why they were living in Europe, he was forced to but Daniel wouldn't have been too surprised to find that many came willingly. He wasn't going to outright ask why she was here though. Apart from sounding a little rude to ask out of no where he wasn't sure if it was his business to ask even if he was curious. "If it's what you prefer than Georgie it is." Daniel replied as he wasn't about to use a name she didn't want to be called by, why was her reason and not his to question just yet. "Hey I'm fine with it but I imagine we'd rack up a number of detentions and strange looks." He explained with a laugh as he hadn't expected it but could see that as some secret American handshake. If anything it was probably very fitting. "Eventually people will just assume we have a problem with each other for no good reason."

@georgiana

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Georgie beamed at Daniel when he said that if her nickname was what she preferred, then it was what she was going to get. She was sure they were going to get along swimmingly, and Daniel’s next words only confirmed what she had already thought – that this was the beginning of a beautiful, somewhat mischievous, friendship. “Detentions aren’t really that bad. But I’d rather not get more strange looks.” American clairvoyant with a host of parent problems already got her more than her fair share of weird glances. It was a good thing that her mother’s return and subsequent departure had only been known to those close to her, otherwise Georgie was sure there was going to be more than a little bit of pity in their gazes. “Hey, who says we don’t have a problem with each other already?” Georgie said with a snort. “Where are you from? I’m sure there’s some sort of regional disagreement.” Georgie didn’t remember much about South Carolina any more, but it seemed like the people there really only liked other people from South Carolina. America was weird that way.

@crimson1

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Daniel nodded about Georgie's comment on not wanting strange looks. He wasn't sure yet how long she had been at this school or why she was getting strange looks but Daniel had gotten enough of those during the start of this year. His first few months were met with stares from strangers as they tried to figure out who he was and where he had come from to just appear that year. Some of the strange looks were also from people trying to think if they remembered him he assumed till Daniel cleared up he just started this year. "Yeah but then you get to look at them back all pissed off and ask what they're looking at. Followed by most getting embarrassed and looking away." Granted as Daniel said that he knew that was just his experience, he didn't know hers yet. "Which is pretty funny to see sometimes."

He laughed as she explained they could have a problem. Something he didn't see happening yet but who knew he did just meet her after all. She asked where he was from as that could have some part of having a problem between them and Daniel laughed once more. That was something he hadn't noticed at Hogwarts, back home it was like states were teams and some people were pretty determined to say their state was better than others. "I'm from Ohio, up north by all the Great Lakes and Canada. How about you? Georgie from Georgia maybe?"

@georgiana

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A bright laugh bubbled out of Georgie when Daniel said that they got to stare back at people and ask them what they were looking at, and make them look away. She hadn’t tried that approach in quite a while, but maybe it was time to bust it out of the closet. It definitely was funny to see – sometimes funny enough that Georgie was able to forget how comfortable she had been because of the staring for a little bit.

The Hufflepuff took in the information of where Daniel had lived, realizing with a little bit of shock that she was beginning to forget American geography. Georgie shook her head when Daniel asked if she was from Georgia. “South Carolina, born and – well, kind of raised.” She said, shrugging her shoulders to cover her slight misstep. She had spent the majority of her life in South Carolina, but she couldn’t remember most of those years, anyways. Honestly, more of her memories of her childhood home had faded and blurred together, with Georgie’s mental focus going instead to the morning she woke up to her parents gone. “You ever seen the Atlantic Ocean?” Georgie asked curiously. Ohio was near the Great Lakes, but it would be a long flight, or longer drive, to get to either of the oceans. Georgie had lived near the ocean, of course, and had gone to the beach more than once, even if she had never set foot in the water.

@crimson1

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Georgie said she was born and sort of raised in South Carolina and it took him a second to figure out where that was in America. He knew the states but some escaped him on just where they were placed. "How kind of raised? Did you ever go to Ilvermorny or did you end up in Europe before then?" Daniel didn't want to ask to much just in case whatever reason she was here wasn't a pleasant one, still he was just curious if she had ever gone to the American school or not. Still he found it somewhat comforting to know there was other Americans here, not like he was endanger from being different. No, more she seemed to be fine with it here so maybe he could be over time at least till he went home. "No I've never seen it actually." No, for that matter he hadn't ever seen any ocean at least from the American coasts. The lakes were as close as he got to large bodies of water. He didn't have family outings like others might have or just was near an ocean. His father never spent time around him, the most he could say as for traveling as a family was when he was dragged to Europe. "Is it nice?" He asked a little curious now about the ocean from her point of view.

@georgiana

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Georgie blanched a little at Daniel’s question, but figured it was best to answer it. Most of the Linley kids’ story was floating around Hogwarts anyways, and it was better for him to hear it in one cohesive narrative than in bits and pieces that, when put together, could give someone the wrong idea of Georgie’s family. “I lived in South Carolina until I was ten, and my parents disappeared.” She explained. “None of our relatives wanted to take us – me and my brother, I mean – since both of our parents were Muggleborn and our grandparents thought we’d suffer from being placed in a non-magical home.” Georgie tried to say that bit without any shame or anger, but both crept in – shame that she wasn’t wanted, and anger that she couldn’t make herself wanted. “So we came to the orphanage here.” Just for kicks, Georgie decided to share the rest of her life story. “And then our parents came back because they didn’t think they were in danger anymore, but my papa got killed in the line of duty and my mama’s parents got sick, so now I’m an orphan who’s not really an orphan because one of her parents is alive, but an absentee.” Georgie finished with a shrug of her shoulders. That was her life. “The ocean’s beautiful, but I hate water.” Georgie said with a shrug that was definitely less heavy than her first one. “How are the lakes?” She asked in return.

@crimson1

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Daniel hadn't planned or expected for Georgie to start explaining her whole history of how she got here. He hadn't asked flat out about it just in case it was something really bad as so far it seemed like it was. Daniel knew he didn't have it the worst out of everyone in the world. His situation wasn't great but still it could have been worse like in the case of Georgie. He wasn't really sure what to say, he could say he was sorry to hear about her situation but he didn't like pity himself and doubted most enjoyed it either. "I thought I had it bad, that just blew me out of the water." Daniel didn't dare laugh as his attempt to say something after Georgie explained her past, that would have been ruder than just pity in itself. She shrugged when she was done, it seemed at least outwardly like she accepted it and wasn't upset with telling him about it. "My mother died when I was born and my father has pretty much held it against me since then. Only reason he made me come with him to Europe was because he had to." Daniel explained why he was here, she hadn't really asked but he felt it was only fair after what she shared.

Georgie said the ocean was nice but she didn't like that water much. Daniel just didn't have much experience with large bodies of water. Sure he lived close enough to the lakes but he never went swimming there much. "They're okay, no-majs.... muggles kind of make a mess of them sometimes." Daniel had heard stories of pollution and stuff like that be he didn't really pay much attention to it. It just felt like it wasn't part of his world. "So you've got a brother in Europe too? Does he go to Hogwarts?"

@georgiana

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Georgie attempted a smile when Daniel said that he thought that he had it bad, but her story blew his out of the water. “Suffering doesn’t always have to be a competition.” She said with one raised shoulder. Sure, her life sometimes felt more like a soap opera than an actual life that anyone would be expected to live, but Georgie was trying to get better at not making light of other people’s feelings and experiences just because hers were so atypical. She didn’t want anything to happen to the people she cared about because they felt like they couldn’t talk to her about something because she always had to have it worse. Daniel explained his own story, about how his mother died when he was born, and the corners of her mouth turned down. “I’m sorry about your mother.” Georgie whispered, offering the words somewhat slowly. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, so she also knew what it was like to have people pity you over something you didn’t want pity for, so she tried not to linger on the subject too long before moving on.

“I know what a No-Maj is.” Georgie reminded Daniel, though she wasn’t sure whether the correction was for her benefit or his. Georgie had been in England long enough that ‘Muggle’ was her default term, but she had grown up hearing the term No-Maj, so it was familiar to her, even if she didn’t use it herself. She wondered what Daniel meant by Muggles making a mess of lakes, though – the area near her house had always been pristine, though maybe that wasn’t the best way to make an assessment about the entire world. Georgie nodded when Daniel asked about her brother, and whether or not he went to Hogwarts. “His name’s Lance. He’s in the year above me, in Hufflepuff.” Georgie supplied, wondering whether or not Daniel had run into him yet. Probably not – he would have mentioned meeting another American, wouldn’t he?

@crimson1

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Daniel nodded slightly as Georgie explained that suffering wasn't a competition. "True but I can't knowingly continue going around thinking I have it that bad off when I know someone else has it worse." Daniel replied with a weak smile. He didn't want to make light of any of this but he'd rather it not turn into a depressing conversation for either of them. He spent enough time alone annoyed with his situation to want to do it around another person and someone who he would admit suffered more than him. After Daniel explained what he had gone through Georgie said she was sorry about his mother and he believed her there. The few replies that popped up in his head weren't that reassuring nor helped to make this conversation less depressing. "What can you do? Sure makes Mother's Day interesting I guess for the both of us."


Georgie assured him she knew what a No-Maj was and Daniel laughed slightly. He was so used to using muggle in conversations now that he hadn't even thought she would know what No-Maj's were. Not because she was American but because he was so used to people in Europe not knowing what he was talking about. "Sorry, I've just used No-Maj and every time while in Europe I just get some strange look. I just add Muggle or use it at this point." He explained with a shrug as it was just what happened in different places. Different terms were used for almost everything over here it seemed. She spoke of her brother and he tried to remember if he had seen him in any classes, he couldn't remember any lance so either he never ran into him or just hadn't been paying attention. "I'll be on the look out, have to make sure all the cool American students know each other."

@georgiana

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Georgie shrugged her shoulders when Daniel said that he couldn’t go around thinking he had it bad when he knew someone else had it worse. “Yeah, but some kids have two living parents who love them and still find a reason to complain.” She said. She wasn’t knocking those kids – she was sure it was annoying to have parents who were constantly hovering or whatever – but if they could find a way to feel bad about their situation, then Daniel could also be a little pissed that his mom was dead. He mentioned Mother’s Day, and Georgie snorted. “I didn’t get to celebrate even one Mother’s Day with my mother since she came back to life.” The Hufflepuff informed her newfound friend. “She came back in the summer, and then – poof! – gone again before even a year passed.” It would have sucked to put a ton of time and effort into a Mother’s Day gift for someone who was just going to leave, though, so Georgie was actually kind of glad of her mother’s timing. “Maybe this Mother’s Day we can throw ourselves a pity party. Make some cupcakes with some black icing, sit in a dark corner and cry together.” Maybe it wasn’t good to be making light of the fact that they had a reason to pity themselves, but oh well – Georgie had never been the most polite of people.

Georgie nodded when Daniel said that every time he’d used No-Maj in Europe he’d gotten strange looks. She would have thought that people would be more intelligent – personally, she thought No-Maj was a more intuitive word than Muggle, but hey, people were stupid, and would always be a little stupid. Georgie smiled when Daniel said that he had to make sure the cool American students knew each other. “We could start an American coalition.” She teased.

@crimson1

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"Spoiled brats." Daniel said with a laugh as he was merely kidding. Everyone had their problems and he learned long ago not to blame someone for having something that he didn't. Life wasn't fair and pain wasn't equal for everyone, some learned that earlier than others. Even more so everyone had their own problems even if some were worse off than others. Georgie explained how her mother had come back and disappeared in under a year. That sounded terrible, at least she seemed to be alive somewhere but still that didn't help if she wasn't around he supposed. Daniel didn't have much of a response to that, any lighthearted comment felt it would be rude and he didn't really want to ask about details either. Luckily Georgia followed it by suggesting what they should do for Mother's Day and he just laughed. "That sounds perfect. We can spend the day picking on the loser kids walking by the corner with 'normal' families."

"Yeah I wonder how well it would go to have an American club and keep the rest of the students out of a club in their own school." Daniel laughed just at the thought after Georgie suggested some type of coalition for Americans. Just the idea of all of the school besides three students being kept out of a club was hilarious to him. Even if he didn't see it going well in the end with how annoyed someone would probably end up getting about it. " Probably annoy half the school by being kept out so of course you can count me in."

@georgiana