Of New Beginnings [Brooke]

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It had been in his letter, a simple addition to the usual school letter - tucked in along with his School Supplies list. Asking if he'd wish to be paired up with one of the Ilvermorny transfers. He had barely given it much thought at all before deciding he'd be more than happy to do so, while he was a little unsure and he was a little worried - mostly he found himself excited at the idea. Not only could he likely make a new friend - but he'd be able to help someone else settle in, to learn about the school that Oliver himself was so fond of. He couldn't imagine how strange it might be - to have been attending one school in another country and then suddenly transfering. He wondered if it was like the memories he had of changing homes before he had been adopted. Although he didn't remember a lot about that, what he remembered was enough.

He had a few weeks before he found himself at Kings Cross - his sister at his side for now, he was glad to still have one of his sisters at school with him, his hand clutching a note stating the name of the girl he had been 'buddied up with', there wasn't much to go on but whoever had assigned them had at least given a small description of the girl  - so he wasn't completely unsure on who he was looking for. He just hoped that he could run into her before boarding the train. Dark eyes glanced around the platform, easily able to tell at least a few of the transfers apart from everyone else - it seemed he was partly right. There were at least a few transfers who felt uneasy and clearly worried about these changes. 


@brooke

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Brooke crossed onto the platform by running into the wall between platforms 9 and 10 with her mother and her two older brothers. It was an odd sensation, and Brooke was sure that she was going to just crash into the wall but alas, she and her family had made it through and now were getting their bags loaded onto the train along with the rest of the students. There were so many people, a lot more than Brooke was expecting. Hundreds, maybe more. The girl scanned the platform for her best friends: people from her small magical village on the seemingly uninhabited island in Southern Alaska. The crowd was so think, she wasn’t sure she’d find them before they had to get on the train.

Brooke had her Hogwarts letter in her hand. It was a weird letter, however, it listed the name of her assigned “buddy” on it. She had checked the box agreeing to be matched with a Hogwarts student to show her around and help her settle in and figure out her classes. However, the name didn’t do much for her. She didn’t know any of these kids by name. A few she had seen before in the Alley and such while she got her supplies and explored with Jace, but none she recognized as having met. While looking down at her letter rather than where she was going on the crowded platform, she felt her shoulder crash into a boy walking next to her. “Oh sorry.” she said quickly, stopping to look up.

Oliver Russell Blishwick

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After four, it had come to not really surprise him just how packed the platform could be. But this year - this year it was more than he was used to. With not just the usual students from Hogwarts but seven years worth of american students from Ilvermorny also packed onto the platform and onto the train, he wondered if everyone would even fit on the train - or maybe the train was bigger too... That idea was one he would have to research on later on, did the train grow if there were more students? Would it magically get bigger? It was a curious thing he hadn't thought of before.

Oliver felt someone bump into him, jostling him slightly causing him to reach out and grab onto his trunk, blinking wide eyes quickly as he looked up, seeing the girl who had crashed into him he simply gave a slight smile. "I-It's alright. It was m-my fault too." He spoke, trying to not allow his stutter to make him look like a fool. "A-Are you alright?" He questioned, holding his head out towards her, "I-I'm Oliver."

@brooke

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The person who she had bumped into insisted that he was alright and that it was his fault too. Brooke couldn’t really see how it was his fault, but she didn’t want to make it more awkward by insisting that she was soul trouble maker in this situation. “Yeah, I’m fine.” she nodded casually. And then he said his name and a little light bulb lit up in her brain. Oliver? That was the name listed on the paper which she was holding. “Oh! Are you this Oliver?” she asked eagerly, showing him the paper with his name listed as the person who would be helping her for the first week or so of the term. “I’m Brooke Lane. It’s nice to meet you.” she smiled.

Oliver Russell Blishwick

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Oliver was rarely one to complain or make a fuss about anything that was clearly an accident, in his mind it was better to brush it aside and get on with life. It was too short for petty little problems. Hearing the girl was okay made him instantly feel better and he offered another quick smile glad to hear that she was infact fine. But the following question and the sudden appearance of the paper almost being thrusted into his face brought out a look of surprised followed quickly by a small burst of laughter, the chance that of all people to have randomly come accross. It was his Buddy that was bumped into on the platform.

"Y-Yes that would be me!" He laughed and nodded his head, pulling out his own piece of paper with her own name on it, eagerly showing off the match to her own. "Its a p-pleasure to m-meet you Brooke, I-I'm Oliver - as I said before - O-Oliver Forrester." His smile grew as he looked back at her, "I-I'm a fifth year Ravenclaw t-this year. W-What year will you be in?" He questioned carefully, trying his hardest to keep his stutter to a minimum while also learning more about her. "D-Did you want to find a seat together? I can help fill you in a bit on the ride - u-unless you have friends or family you w-want to sit with?"

@brooke

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The young man laughed and showed her his paper with her name listed on it also and she smiled. He had a nice laugh, she thought as he spoke to her. “I’ll be in my fifth year too. I’m not sure what house I’ll be in yet though, obviously. I heard it has something to do with a hat of some kind though.” she told him, though she was sure that he already knew since he was a Hogwarts student who had gone through this sorting himself already and was in Ravenclaw house, which meant nothing to her as she hadn’t really looked up or asked about any of the houses or how it worked yet. She had been trying not to think about it all too much, it stressed her out to think about the unknown, so recently, she had been trying not to.

“Yes! I’d love to sit with you if that’s alright. I don’t want to be a burden.” she looked around the platform for any familiar faces when he asked if she had friends or family that she wanted to sit with. She did, she had two brothers, but they already seemed to be off, boarding the train. She looked around for Jace or Indie, but couldn’t see them in the crowd. It was so very crowded and she was starting to feel her heart race seeing all the people around her and hearing all of the voices. “Could we board now?” she asked, wanting, suddenly, to get off the platform where she felt like she couldn’t breath.

Oliver Russell Blishwick

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Oliver smiled, he was happy that the girl truly did seem nice and it was comforting to know - that alone made him relax a little which usually would help his stutter calm. If he felt less stressed and less anxious - it usually faded enough to be almost un-noticed. He happily nodded when she stated that she'd also be in her fifth year - it meant that no matter what house she ended up in that they would at least share a couple classes, "I-I can explain the hat thing for you - i-if you want. Some people like it to be a s-suprise I guess." he tilted his head as he spoke, he himself had asked his siblings about it so he knew what to expect back in his own first year, knowing that he'd just simply have to wear the hat and that was how he was sorted - had been simple but a relief back then. The unknown had made him afraid, so knowing had helped ease those silly fears.

He smiled and nodded when she said that she'd love to sit with him, "N-Not at all, don't think you are a b-burden." His voice was calmer, trying to not make her feel at all that she was, "I-I asked if I could be a b-buddy, and I think a Buddy should help out even if its j-just to sit with someone and talk." He was calmer now but he saw something when she looked around, something that made him frown a bit - he knew that look - the look of overwhelming, the look that said she was struggling to breath a little. A Possible panic attack - he knew those signs well and carefully he stepped forward, offering his hand, "L-Lets go then, I know it can be... overwhelming." He glanced around as he led her towards the train - ignoring his own anxiousness as he tried to speak to her and avoid letting her be jostled as they moved. He now felt a odd protectiveness - they may be different but those signs - he knew those well,

@brooke

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“Yes! Thank you! I must admit a few of us have been very concerned over this hat.” Brooke admitted when he offered to explain the hat to her. He was the first Hogwarts student to have offered, though, he was one of the first Hogwarts students whom she had talked to at all. She had kind of stayed in her own little bubble all summer. She spent most of her time with her brothers or with Jace and Indy. “But maybe it can wait until we’re onboard.” Brooke suggested.

He also agreed that she wasn’t a burden at all and he was happy to sit with her. He seemed to pick up on her change in behavior and extended his hand, offering to take her onto the train. This wasn’t like Brook Lane, she was normally a very adventurous, very excitable person, but being here in this new place had done something weird to her mind. Being so stuck in the city and surrounded by so many people, all of whom she had never seen before in her life really got to her. Everything was so big. The walls, the buildings, all of it, she felt so closed in on. She accepted his hand as he explained that he knew how overwhelming this could be and she felt herself so thankful that she was in his company. Jace was nice, and he tried to help, but he was so excited over all of this change. He had no idea what she felt like inside. She hardly knew what it was. Brooke let him show her how to board the train and where to put their belongings before they sat down wherever he lead her. “Thank you.” Brooke admitted quietly, her cheeks blushing a little. She felt slightly embarrassed that he could tell she had been upset by the platform.

Oliver Russell Blishwick

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He quickly gave what he certainly hoped was a comforting smile, "I c-can understand that b-but there is really no real need to be c-concerned, it doesn't do anything b-bad." He gives a small nod, glancing around them once more before agreeing to her suggestion. "T-That might be best. I-Its really crowded out here - I-I can barely hear my own t-thoughts." He offered a small laugh, reaching up to rub at his neck slightly. Large crowds were never an easy thing for him to handle, at least not on his own.

But he wasn't on his own and he easily reached out to the girl, he sympathized easily with her being overwhelmed, and he knew how crazy things could be - how scary they could be. Plus focusing on someone else always helped distract him from his own issues - however small or large they might be, it pushed him out of his own head for a moment and kept him from his own worrying thoughts and fears. Oliver eagerly focused on helping Brooke, it was his duty of course - as her Buddy this year, but he also saw a little of his own anxieties in her and wanted to be helpful and comforting for her. Getting a spot on the train was surprisingly not as difficult as he expected with how busy it was - then again most people seemed to still be outside the train. As soon as they were settling down and putting their things away, it was far quieter and comfortable as he sat himself down accross from her. Offering a quick smile. 

"It's okay. I s-sometimes get a little... o-overwhelmed, i-its scary and h-hard to explain to people." He offered a small shrug, many times he had been teased about it. He was the last person who would ever do such a thing to someone else.


@brooke

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Once they were on the train, Oliver, her buddy, admitted that he also got overwhelmed sometimes and it was hard to explain to people. She nodded in complete understanding. “I’ve never felt it before coming to London.” she admitted. “So it’s hard for me to explain to myself sometimes too.” she wondered if she made any sense at all or if he would think that she was crazy. She was beginning to think that she was crazy. Brooke was from a very small town, and Ilvermorny, while a large school, was so familiar that she never felt claustrophobic like she was feeling now. She remembered the first time that she had felt this way, it was in Diagon Alley at the beginning of the summer and it had hit her like a bag full of bricks. It felt completely impossible to move for a while. Jace had helped a lot, but she was still getting used to it now. Being on the train helped.

“So are you excited to be going back this year?” she asked the young man sitting across from her. Conversation, especially about her new school and what she could expect from this next year sounded like a good way to get her mind off of the craziness of the platform outside of her window.

Oliver Russell Blishwick