December 22nd, 1893 - Hogsmeade Winter Festival

Ella was still a little put out that she couldn't be practicing flying while on break from school, especially with her broom all fixed and ready to go. At least there were some fun things going on at the park to keep her occupied. The whole family had trudged out to the park to enjoy the snowy festivities but had broken off into little pods of activities. The twins were half asleep in their pram and that was a bit of a relief, Ella couldn't chase after them any longer. Vivi had out a book of course and Esme, Edith and Rosie were all making snow angels near where her parent sat on a bench chatting with friends.

The snow was perfect for a snowman, so Ella had started working on one, pushing a base around and trying to work it up to a decent size. When she couldn't push it any longer, she started on the middle, struggling to push it up onto the base. This was hard without magic! Why did she bother to learn the levitation charm when she couldn't use it outside of school? Honestly. Her wand felt as useless as her broom sometimes.

She was nearly breathless by the time she'd gotten a good head rolled up, but there was no way she was going to be able to reach to put it up. With her hands on her hips, she surveyed the situation, looking over at the rest of her family wondering if she should ask her Papa to help, but he was deep in conversation with some gentleman she didn't recognize. Sighing, she looked around again and decided the next passerby would do. "Excuse me!" She chirped as someone came withing a reasonable distance. "Do you think you could help me for a minute, please?"

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Open to 1-3 others who would stop to help!

  

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The snow was lovely, there was very little of it in Marsaille, so Violetta wished to enjoy it in the park before the family ported their intended home for winter. She loved to go home almost as much as her mother enjoyed flying south for winter. But she did wish she could take some of the cold white powder with her.

In her hand she cradled a hot cup of chocolate and she watched the other children playing, she recognised many of them from school and couldn't help herself trying to see how some of the older girls liked to dress.

"Do you think you could help me for a minute, please?"

Violetta looked at the younger girl, then she looked around her, trying to work out if she was talking to someone else. With noone else in obvious earshot she smiled "Moi? why of course." she walked over taking a long sip of her chocolate, the faint aroma of cocao, cinnamon and the smalll3st hint of cognac wafted from the air as she stood next to Ella Grimm She placed down her mostly empty cup. "We shall give your snowman a head, oui?" she smiled and went to the other side of the large and vaguely head shaped ball of snow. A quick levitate charm would have them done in a pinch, but alas it was not allowed.

"You are in hogwarts, I think you are a first year, non?" she asked as she bend down to try and gain leverage on the snowball with her playmate.

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Ella was momentarily taken aback by the accent that replied to her request. She peered at the older girl curiously, vaguely recognizing her from school, but couldn't drum up a name. Still, she was offering to help, so that was nice. Ella smiled and nodded her head.

"Thank you!" She added as the other girl bent to get the head. Ella did her best to get a good hold on the bottom, hoping the height of the other girl would help get the head all of the way up onto the body Ella had already assembled. It was nearly already taller than she was after all and it was sort of awkward. At least she could get a good grip on it. Snow was unusually easy to work with, given how heavy it got.

"On three?" Ella offered, counting after and starting to lift on three.

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   Violetta DeCroix

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Violetta crouched down close to the giant snowball and tried to get a good purchase on it. She could feel the cold of the ice even through her gloves. She spoke softly to herself "Un, deux, three!" There was noise of exertion as the pair lifted it up on to the top of the snowman. Violetta giggled as they over balanced and almost pushed the head too far and off of his back.

Once the two girls had accomplished their herculean feat of strength, Violetta stood back and did a little curtsey "Bonjour, monsieur snowman" she giggled and looked at the other girl. "Oh, how silly of me, he cannot hear us, he doesn't have a face!" she looked at the ground next to Ella's things to see if she had brought any supplies and picked up her own chocolate, it was getting cooler now as it had rested in the snow. She took a sip and offered it politely to the other girl to try some. "It's not quite hot, but its still lovely, what's your name? I'm Violetta" she smiled sweetly.

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Ella Grimm

  

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Ella almost overcorrected when the head teetered on falling off the other side, but it was up there and only a little off-center. It would do. It gave him character.

She'd found a couple sticks for arms, but wasn't quite sure what to use for his face just yet. A few rocks might do the trick, she hadn't thought to bring a hat or scarf or anything of the like. Mama probably wouldn't like her using her own, so she would have to get creative in another way.

"Oh, no thanks." She smiled when the other girl, Violetta, offered her cocoa. "I'm Ella. I am a first year, Hufflepuff." She realized she hadn't answered the question from a moment ago. She vaguely recognized Violetta from school, but didn't know what year or house. If there was a big enough gap they didn't see one another often except for the Great Hall or outside.

Ella broke a few of the errant twigs from the sticks she had and shoved one into the middle on either side. "Now I just need to find him a face." She mused as she tilted her head, wondering what would work best.

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You don't need to tag me, I get alerts because I started the thread! :}

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   Violetta DeCroix

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Violetta looked at the snowman, blank faced and having only just been given arms, what a world he must be living in. "I am in year four, Slytherin house" she replied in case Ella wished to know. "Your hair is very pretty" she also commented to the other girl.

Violetta looked around for something, anything to make a suitable face. "Tradition dictates a carrot for a nose, non? But I appear to be without a carrot? Perhaps winter berries for eyes?" she walked a few metres to a nearby holly bush with its beautiful red berries gleaming in the snow. She pushed a few of them into spaces where eyes should sit then stepped back. With his red eyes he looked quite the sight, she could picture him appearing in someone's Boggart class at school.

"But are still without a nose?" she muttered to herself, she looked at the cup that her chocolate had come in, she could use it but it was too big.

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Ella Grimm

  

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"Thanks!" Ella had always liked her red hair, even though she was the only one in the house with it. Sometimes it was a not-so-friendly reminder that she was not her mother's child, but it was hard to focus on that with a mum like Grace. It wasn't as if she had ever been made to feel as anything else.

Miss Violetta seemed to have a good idea with the berries for eyes, even if they reminded her of a white rabbits. Well, the snowman was white after all, maybe they should give it long ears and it could be a snow bunny. A nose and some sort of mouth were all that were needed, but Ella, looking around, wasn't so sure she knew what to use. "Hmm," she hummed out, thinking as she looked near the bushes and around the other side of the snowman.

"What about this?" She came up with a pinecone from near the roots of the nearest tree. "Sort of carrot-shaped?" She laughed, trying to picture it.

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   Violetta DeCroix

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Ella went off and found a strangley long and thin pinecone and it did indeed look like a body part. "Zut alor... that looks like a..." she blushed and giggled as she stopped herself saying what she might say. "Oi.. we should use that" she nodded at the younger girl as she finally got her blush under control.

What a magnificent specimen they had created, strong, powerful and a charming face. "A flick of the wand and we could play with him" she said half to herself curiously wondering if she would know the spell well enough to animate their cold friend. If course she wouldn't do something like that, but it intrigued her.

"He needs a scarf or he will catch a chill, but our Mamans would scold us if we gave him ours non?" she drummed her fingers on her chin thinking of a solution.

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Ella Grimm

  

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Ella certainly didn't know what it was that Miss Violetta was referring to, but it seemed to do the job at the very least. As a last ditch effort to complete the face, Ella simply used her finger to draw a smile onto the snowman. It would do. It was all just for fun after all.

"No, I don't think I could give mine up." Her Auntie Eury had made hers for her. It was far too special to give up to the snowman. It would be cute though. She did wonder if the older girl actually knew a spell to animate the snowman, but that had to be high level magic, right? "It would be fun if he could dance." Ella admitted with a smile and a laugh.

Ella was about to say something further when she heard her mum calling her. "I have to go, see you at school!" She smiled before hurrying off to join her family.

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