Talk to people on the train - that was part of Ida’s advice she’d written to him in the letter. Instead he’d found a train compartment to himself, sat down near the window and stared down at the loops of his sister’s cursive. It wasn’t that Chuntao didn’t want to talk to other children, it was just he wasn’t entirely sure how. In Irvingly he’d had friends for sure, but he also had a governess or someone there to do the introduction for him, but here he was on his own. It was a lot of pressure to talk to someone on the train, but Ida seemed to know that too.
She’d given him sickles to buy chocolate from the snack cart and then to share it - an easy conversation starter and what kid doesn’t like to have something sweet? The snack cart hadn't come by just yet, but he'd found a few pieces tucked into pocket courteous of... one of his siblings, and he’d kept the chocolate bars next to him for the next time he saw someone. Tao had frowned because there hadn’t been anyone to do that with until another person tumbled into the car that caused him to look up. He had a scowl on his face like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world, but maybe he was just nervous to start his first year at Hogwarts - Tao was too. Words didn’t immediately filter into his brain when he should have just said hello, and instead he smiled and glanced back toward the letter in his hands, starting from the top and rereading it again.
By the time Tao worked up the courage to say hello, the kid across from him had his head against the wall with his eyes closed. He cleared his throat to get his attention. “Uh, hi. Are you hungry? I think I bought too much-” Chocolate. His words were interrupted as the door to the cart flew open, revealing two more children. This time around Tao offered a grin and instantly slid to the end of the seat in case one of them wanted to sit. (Or both, but it would be rather squishy to have three of them to one seat, but he supposed it was worth it to hopefully make some friends before they even got to Hogwarts.)
“Hi?” It came out more as a question than a statement, but he still managed a smile. “Do you want to sit with us?” Tao tossed a look at the kid across from him and hoped it was okay with him. This is what Ida had said to do, right?
She’d given him sickles to buy chocolate from the snack cart and then to share it - an easy conversation starter and what kid doesn’t like to have something sweet? The snack cart hadn't come by just yet, but he'd found a few pieces tucked into pocket courteous of... one of his siblings, and he’d kept the chocolate bars next to him for the next time he saw someone. Tao had frowned because there hadn’t been anyone to do that with until another person tumbled into the car that caused him to look up. He had a scowl on his face like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world, but maybe he was just nervous to start his first year at Hogwarts - Tao was too. Words didn’t immediately filter into his brain when he should have just said hello, and instead he smiled and glanced back toward the letter in his hands, starting from the top and rereading it again.
By the time Tao worked up the courage to say hello, the kid across from him had his head against the wall with his eyes closed. He cleared his throat to get his attention. “Uh, hi. Are you hungry? I think I bought too much-” Chocolate. His words were interrupted as the door to the cart flew open, revealing two more children. This time around Tao offered a grin and instantly slid to the end of the seat in case one of them wanted to sit. (Or both, but it would be rather squishy to have three of them to one seat, but he supposed it was worth it to hopefully make some friends before they even got to Hogwarts.)
“Hi?” It came out more as a question than a statement, but he still managed a smile. “Do you want to sit with us?” Tao tossed a look at the kid across from him and hoped it was okay with him. This is what Ida had said to do, right?
