Plans

Eva and her cousin Bel finally found an empty compartment on the train. After storing their trunks and familiar's cages on the racks above the seats they sat down opposite each other.

"So Bel, How we gonna play this?" she asked wondering how they were going to be at school.

Bel followed Eva as they looked for an empty compartment, find one she took her cat Lacey out of the carrier and placed her on her seat, before helping Eva place the trunks and pets cage/carrier onto the overhead storage area. Glad that Eva had let Shade her owl fly on to Hogwarts.

Once they sat down Eva asked a question, Bel tought about it while placing Lacey in her lap before answering, "Well I'm going to be the way i always am, you know harmless. How about you?"

"Well since we are going to be honest about our family connection, I am going to be just as sweet as i always am," Eva replied getting setting them both into a laughing fit.

Once they calmed and agreed to get together to do homework after dinner in the library, then started on what subjects they were looking forward to, testing each other with questions based on the booklist that was required by all first years.

They had just started on the assigned Charms book, when the compartment door opened, they both looked up to see.

Melanie was nervous. Nervous was maybe a bit of an understatement. When she walked into the train her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid it would explode out of her body.
But now she was a bit calmer, she looked around the train, looking for somewhere to sit and she randomly picked the nearest compartment. She slowly opened the door and up looked the two girls sitting in the compartment:
"Hi," Melanie said awkwardly "Everywhere else is full... Would you mind if I sit here?"

Hearing the door open Bel looked towards the door. She noticed a nervous looking Blonde haired girlin the doorway. "That's fine," said Bel getting up to help the girl store her belongings in the storage over head.

"I'm Belinda Green, and this is Evangeline Starr." she said. Giving a basic introduction rather than the usual 'and this is my cousin'. Bel retook her seat opposite Eva who was looking at her with her eyebrow raised in question as they always introduced each other as cousins.

'Just a feeling' she mouthed to Eva who nodded in response.

"Thank you," Melanie smiled at both brunettes a bit shocked by their politeness and how quick they were to welcome her, she isn't the best at making friends - or just at socializing, to be honest.
"My name is Melanie McKinnon," she said politely "What year are you girls in?" she then asked - hoping to sound more polite than curious.
Honestly, she just hated silence, there had always to be someone talking or making some noise, otherwise she just felt like screaming.

"No problem, we are first years," do you mind answering some questions for us?" Eva asked.

"We don't mind what you answer either way its just we have had a fair bit of mixed reponses from different people we have met over the years."

As Melanie did not say anything Eva started, "Where did you grow up? How many siblings do you have? Are you prue, muggleborn or half? What are you views on prues being related to halbloods? What are your views on muggles? Have you started to read the books on the booklists yet? What subject you looking forward to the most?" she asked throwing out random questions.

Bel listened as Eva sprouted lots of seemenly random question, but she knew what Eva was doing.

Seeing Eva about to sprout off some more, she quickly spoke up "Eva thats enough, let her digest and answer the questions you have already asked."

Turning she noticed that although Melanie looked to be in thought she didnt seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

She was about to start talking again when Melanie started to answer the questions.

Melanie was a bit startled; So many questions. But than again, it was nice, the more questions, the less silence. So she answered;
"I grew up in a really small cottage couple hours away from London and I'm half blood,
"I don't really care how people are related, personality is what matters I guess. I can't say I like muggles, I don't mind non-magical people but I seem to like people that like magic more, that's probably my dad's fault - he's a muggle and I hate him. I love reading so yes; I'm half through the book list. I can't wait for Defense Against the Dark Arts... There is something about it... I think it's probably the most fascinating subject." She ended her speech and gave the girl a short half smile wondering what would come next.

Bel didn't know what to make of the Melanie, So while Melanie answered she listened carefully, hoping to get a better idea of the type of person Melanie was.

Before Eva could start another round of questions Bel started talking, "Well i'm Half-blood and my cousin Eva here is Pure-blood. i have some questions of my own. In your perfect world where would we be below, side by side or higher than the muggles? If you could change anything in the world from how it is now what would it be and why? Like Eva said don't worry about our answers we just like to hear other people opinions."

Bel was wondering how Melanie would react not only to the news that Eva was her cousin, but also to how she would answer the questions.

Melanie tensed for a moment over the fact that the girls where cousins and wondered why they hadn't said so earlier.

But she shook the feeling off and started answering the other girls questions
"To me we are higher than the muggles already, as we have more power than them, they would never survive against us in a war, because they don't know magic like we wizards do.
"There should be laws, different laws - Laws that don't keep us from preforming magic in front of muggles, because why do we have to hide if they don't? Muggles should know there is a... ah, what shall I call it... a higher power, that we can do things they can't even dream are possible." She laughed for a second and wondered to herself since when she had the courage to tell people blank out her thoughts.

She examined both girls before speaking again, "Why am I being questioned anyway? Are you two just curious or does there lay something else behind all those questions?"

Eva was slightly annoyed that Bel had spoken before she could asked more questions, But as she listened to the questions Bel asked and then waited to hear Melanie's response she found she didn't mind so much.

"Oh were just curious," Eva said, "Feel free to ask us any questions you want but bear in mind we may not answer them if we find them too personal."

"Well if I may," Melanie smiled, "In what house would you girls like to end up in? And what do you think of muggles?"

She paused for a moment,"What is the subject you look the most forward to?" she stopped for another short moment "What do you think of muggle borns? And the word mudblood?"

Bel looked at Eva getting a nod of concent to answer for both of them, "We don't mind what house we end up in. Eva would prefer to go anywhere but Gryffindor. we are looking forward to all the classes but i would have to say duelling the most, Eva likes her potions."

Bel took a moment to think on how to answer the other questions without giving too much information on how they felt on th subject, "We have nothing against muggleborns as such but do think they should make a point to learn our ways of life they are coming into our world after all so why should we accomodate their beliefs if they dont make a point to accomodate ours. I personally also think they should be sent to a summer school to learn our traditions, laws, history and learn enough to catch up to where the half-bloods and pure-bloods, so they are ready to start school. As for what they get called Eva and i believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and should they wish to use the word mudblood its their choice."

Melanie smiled, trying to figure out what exactly she thought about the girls.
She took a chocolate frog from her bag, biting the head of before offering the girls "Want one? I've got plenty," she smiled. "Anyways," she took another bite "Why not Gryffindor?"

"No thanks, would you excuse me for a bit," said Bel hoping she had read the girl right.

As she left the compartment looking for a certain someone who might be intresed in talking to Melanie, she heard Eva start to explain why she didn't want Gryffindor.

Eva started to talk as Bel left the compartment, "There is no particular reason. It's just that i would rather not go there. As far as i know none of my family have ever been in Gryffindor."

Eva had the feeling that Bel was going to look for someone on the train. Wanting to keep the conversation going she asked Melanie, "What about you where do you think you will end up?"

"Ravenclaw I guess," Melanie took another bite from her frog. "I'm told I'm really smart, so my guess is Ravenclaw... its also supposed to be a nice house. I don't think I'd fit into Gryffindor... I'm not heroic or really brave, maybe a bit foolish... but probably not enough for Gryffindor." she laughed silently to herself "Maybe I'll just end up in Hufflepuff or Slytherin... there is no way to know I guess and life can be twisted that way, making us end up in some place we'd never guess we would end in... or maybe we'll get just what we wanted." She laughed again and shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you have a big family? I've got plenty of siblings, to many for my opinion." she frowned.

"Not really. My parents and siblings were killed a few months ago. So i live with my Grandfather. My mum's sister died when Bel was five. Although Bel's dad remarried when she was eight and Bel gained three step siblings with the marriage im not really close to them."

Eva stopped talking and looked up when she noticed the door opening, Bel gave a small shake of her head as she sat down. Eva picking up that either she couldn't find who she was looking for or that they were too busy.

"Oh I'm sorry..." Melanie's cheeks reddened "I wouldn't have asked if i'd known..."

"Oh, you're back," she smiled at Bel.

"We should be arriving soon shouldn't we? I can't wait to begin school ... Do you girls know a lot of people at Hogwarts?" she smiled trying to keep the conversation flowing.

"No, We've only met one other student. I will ask him if he is willing to meet with you." Bel replied.

She had just finished talking when she noticed Arsen walk past the compartment, she quickly got up opened the door grabbed his arm pulling him into the compartment, before closing the door and shutting the blind on the door.

Arsen needed to stretch his legs so decided to go for a walk down the corridor of the train. He was suddenly pulled by his arm into one of the compartments, he looked around the compartment to see who his attacker was when he spotted Belinda.

"God woman enough with the pulling, what is the meaning of this?" He said pulling his leather jacket into place on his shoulders, then brushing it down. He scanned the room and spotted Eva and a girl he hadn't met yet. "This better be important i don't like being man handled." He said looking at Bel then the other two wondering what was going on.

Bel watched as Arsen brushed himself down after straighting his jacket.

She hugged him placing her mouth as close to his ear as possible whispering so only he could hear her, "I think she is willing to join us."

Releasing him she continued out loud, "Oh i just wanted you to meet Melanie McKinnon here. Melanie meet Arsen Barela."

He froze when she hugged him. First the dragging then the hug this was gonna have to stop. He was about to push her off and say something when she whispered in his ear.

Arsen lifted one of his eyebrows "How do you know? You didn't openly ask her about it did you?" Knowing some people were likely to do just that. He waited for a reply then stepped around her to take the seat by the window. "It's nice to meet you Melanie. So tell me what do you like most about being a witch?" He asked thinking that was a reasonable question to ask first.

Melanie examined the boy for s short second before speaking "Hello Arsen, nice to meet you too,"

She smiled at him before answering his question "Uhm... my favorite thing? Oh well, that's a hard one. It's maybe to obvious to say the magic it self? I hope I don't sound rude or anything, it's probably the power it gives us... It makes us different from others - for example muggles... I mean, there are so many things we can do with our powers, things other people cant do... It's pretty fascinating I think."