September 2nd, 1890 — Gryffindor Common Room

Settling back into school was always taxing for Alice. Between the (sometimes overwhelming) excitement of her friends, ensuring Bridget and Callum got where they were meant to be, and unpacking, she was normally exhausted before the celebrations began. Tonight was no exception. Where her friends seemed to have boundless energy and were animatedly discussing their summer adventures, Alice was content to sit curled up in the corner of the loveseat watching the chaos unfold.

At least Sloane and Cameron weren't bickering. Edison would already have his hands full with being a prefect. He didn't need the added strain of having to deduct points from the explosive pair on their first night.

Eventually, the cushions sank besides her. "Hey," Alice greeted her friend warmly. "How was your summer?"

  

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Amazing set by Bee!

Being back at school was refreshing, home always seemed to quiet with only Henry and Matthew around. This summer had been worse than normal with mishaps that kept her mother from allowing her to see her friends. Mother was already wary of Sloane and Calla’s love of quidditch enough that two lake incidents and a Quidditch World Cup fatality had resulted in Sisse being stuck at home with letters as her only connection to her friends.

Between unpacking and the first day of classes Sisse had happily bounced between her friends and classmates, excited to see everyone again. She had gotten caught up talking to Calla after their last class and had only just arrived in the common room. It was easy to spot her friends nestled into the couches near the window, happily chatter. Sisse grinned at the sight and settled next to Alice. It was good to be back.

“It was alright.” Sisse shrugged, “I’m glad to be back though. How was your’s?”

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

"Not as fun as yours, I've heard," she laughed. The lake incident was still fresh on everyone's minds. "Did you go in after the capsized boat, too? I've only heard bits and pieces of the story." Sloane had, of course, but Sloane was as reckless as they came.

Alice shifted to face Sisse on the seat. It was great to be around her friends again, especially the ones on the calmer end of the spectrum. A summer of managing a herd of young kids wasn't the most exciting. "Boring, mostly. Bickered with Bridget for most of it. You know, the usual."

  

For a second Sisse froze thinking that Alice had somehow found out about her almost drowning. Instead she was only speaking about the awful group outing to the park. Sisse still wasn’t over the whole thing. They should have just gone for an adult rather than Sloane almost dying. “I flew with Calla to help.” At least she had done something. At the time she had been too terrified to even set foot in the water, nor would she have allowed Ned to see her like that again - paralyzed with fear.

“Yeah Matthew was more awful then normal this year. He can finally do magic at home and he has been an awful tyrant.” Sisse pouted, glad she had made sure to notice if her older brother was in the common room with his cronies or not. “Henry wasn’t much better. He spent most of the summer with his friends at the park. Mother wasn’t keen on that for me though. She insisted I stay home and act the part of a proper lady,” As if embroidery and mending were all that a lady did. Ladies also socialized, but Sisse wouldn’t bring that up because then her mother would make remarks on Sloane and Calla and Sisse couldn’t handle the thought of her mother thinking anything less than Sisse did about them. Which was to say she wouldn’t hear a word against any of her friends so she simply didn’t bring them up.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

"That was smart of you both," she stated. Calla was a strong flier, so Sisse would've been able to assist from above without needing to pay attention to the broom. Edison likely would've suggested as much in a formalized plan had they stopped long enough to make one. "Was your mother angry, too? I know Sloane was grounded for the remainder of the summer."

Being the eldest sibling meant none were permitted yet to practice magic at home, though Alice knew Callum would lord it over the younger four as soon as he came of age. Merlin, she didn't look forward to policing 'adults'. "A proper lady?" Alice chuckled. "That sounds like the makings of a miserable summer. We're still kids yet, aren't we? We don't have to act the part of respectable society members until sixth year, at least."

  

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Amazing set by Bee!

“She was. But then again, you know she’s rather… stern about everything.” Well really who Sisse’s friends were but Alice had heard that before.

“I don’t think anyone has told my mother that. She’s believed I should be a respectable society member at the age of eight.” Sisse frowned and leaned back on the couch. Her mother was a large part of the reason she was always so glad to escape back to Hogwarts. “She is still trying to convince my father to enroll me at Pendergast’s after next year.” The conversation had started last summer and despite all of Sisse’s wishes her mother had yet to forget about it.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

"Yeah…" Alice sighed. It was amazing what a difference in status meant for children. Where Sisse was to be a perfect debutante, Alice would be lucky to work away from the farm. She still clung to the hope of working for one of the two major wizarding hospitals, but if her scholarships and sponsorships lapsed at any moment … Well, Alice didn't like to consider the implications.

"Are wives not meant to be well educated?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. She read enough books to know Sisse's mother was of the generation where women were best seen and not heard. "You can enroll there after graduation, can't you? What difference does two years make?"

  

“To my mother they apparently make all the difference.” Not to mention she had heard whispers that her parents couldn’t afford both, concerns over her dowry, her mother worrying her father telling her it would all work out. Neither Henry nor Matthew had to worry about such things but at times when SIsse overheard the conversations she felt that she was simply the cause of all the money issues. Things would be easier if she had been a boy, a great deal of things in Sisse’s opinion.

“But it’s our first day back, don’t let me dampen your spirits.” Sisse smiled at her friend. “How were classes today? I’m still sorry I didn’t add Arithmancy last year.” A year into it seemed to late to try and pick it up now.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Alice reached over and squeezed her hand. Not returning to Hogwarts was presenting more and more like the option she was to take after next year. A mediwitch was a fair compromise, she supposed. And it wasn't like she couldn't work as a healer independently.

"They were great. I think I might have a better understanding of DADA if the new professor is as good as they say." Defense Against the Dark Arts was always her downfall when it came to their classes. Alice was hopeful a new perspective on the subject might change that for the better. "It's alright. I'm sorry I didn't add Divination, that would've been a fun class to take together. Plus, a lot of the quidditch boys take it." The last bit was added in a near whisper, as the pair were like to do when discussing their favorite topic.

  

“We can only hope. I don’t think anything would help me with Transfiguration though.[/b]” It was by far Sisse’s worst subject. “I admit I do miss Professor Ruskin though.” He was always so jolly in classes that it seemed a shame he had retired this summer. Professor Ruskin had almost seemed more a part of Hogwarts then Headmaster Black himself.

Sisse giggled, “True. But it would be better if I could whisper about it to you in class.” At least one of her friends didn’t think speaking of boys was boring. “But then again I should be grateful to have you in my other classes. After next year who knows what anyone will take.” Sisse for her part would be happy to drop Astronomy and especially happy to never have to transfigure a hedgehog into a pincushion again.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

"I can help if you want." Transfiguration wasn't her favorite subject, but Alice wasn't awful at it. In fact, she was almost as good at transfiguration as potions. "I'll miss Professor Ruskin too. There's quite a few new faces this year to get accustomed to."

Not taking Divination was her greatest mistake last year, especially considering how upset it apparently made Cameron that Sloane hadn't. "I'll be sad for the boys to move up to NEWT classes without us next year. It's going to be so weird without them."

  

“You know I always appreciate your help.” Sisse agreed with a smile. If it hadn’t been for Alice Sisse was quite sure she wouldn’t have made it through Transfiguration this far with decent marks.

Sisse didn’t even want to think of the boys moving into NEWT classes. Often she forgot they weren’t in her year, but the prefect badge that Ned now sported was a constant reminder. “I thought it was bad enough when they were in OWL courses and we were still in beginner courses. I don’t even want to think of next year.” Sisse looked out at the group. They were growing up, life was changing, and even though it was the beginning of the year she was already starting to feel it keenly. “You don’t think they will forget about us, do you?” Alice was the only one she could voice such a concern to.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Next year would be upon them too soon. Already, Alice felt as though the ground was shifting beneath their feet. Edison was a prefect now, and soon they'd be pursing their futures instead of just stressing about homework. "Me neither," she agreed. The future could spare them the stress on this night.

"I don't see how they could," she then laughed. "Not with a roommate as loud as Sloane."

  

“True.” Sisse laughed, Alice did have a point. But the point was also a sore one. Cam would never forget Sloane, but Sisse herself was another matter. She had always felt, no matter how safely entwined in her friend’s circle she was, that she was more of an outsider than the rest of them. Bound by the rules and expectations of her mother rather than her own passions. They enjoyed quidditch and she enjoyed her courses and her art.

She might have said something in response then, but Cam turned his attention on them then and the conversation was promptly dropped (if not forgotten) for the time being as they were surrounded by the teasing and joking that had made the Gryffindor common room more of a home to Sisse than even her own family’s parlor.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom