17 posts
PLAYED BY Lilz
Gryffindor
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Post by Maddie Fitzgerald on Jan 3, 2018 3:38:28 GMT
It was a habit, at this point. If she was going to the library for any reason, she was first going to pick up two cups of coffee from the kitchen. She'd almost gotten the charm to prevent her spilling them right. Almost. Both steaming hot, with milk and sugar; both cautiously, cautiously balanced in her hands as she walked slowly toward her destination.
If anyone knew that Madeleine was breaking all sorts of rules and sneaking coffee into the library, of all places, they'd probably never believe it. Surely not. Madeleine was unassuming. She listened. She followed rules and never disobeyed a professor.
Except, here she was, carefully toeing the door open and wandering ever so quietly through the stacks to the back corner where she usually met her companion. Sometimes he beat her there. Sometimes, she beat him. No matter... it was quiet, and a good place to study - with good company. Not, of course, that the Gryffindors weren't good company. On the contrary - they were great company... if you weren't trying to practice for a practical exam for which you still didn't have the wand movements precisely right to get the charm to work every time.
"Frère?" Her voice was the barest whisper. Now, of all times, she really didn't want to catch the attention of the librarian. She also didn't want to scare Mattie, if he was here before her. Amelia or Alfred might find it great fun. She'd never seen the humor in it, and especially not when she was on the receiving end of such pranks.
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30 posts
PLAYED BY Maddox
Ravenclaw
T'es rien qu'un petit connard, Alfred.
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Post by Matthieu Williams on Jan 3, 2018 8:25:30 GMT
| We all are living in a dream But life ain’t what it seems Oh everything’s a mess And all these sorrows I have seen They lead me to believe That everything’s a mess
But I wanna dream | If Matthieu was a wild animal, if he was being hunted by any that wished to make the shy, awkward teen their prey-- he could easily be found in his natural habitat of the Library. Back left, in the farthest corner at the table there. He was usually behind a large stack of books with a fancy quill in his hand and a jar holding deep ebony ink gently pressed to the top corner of some parchment as he scribbled out notes of his studies.
It wasn't uncommon to have someone come to seek him out, and even if he continually spent money on invisibility cloaks that eventually faded, he would always be found out it seemed. He had gotten to the point where he just sat in the same place so that his siblings could find him, facing in a way that no one could sneak up upon him while he sat-- last time he had sat with his back exposed, Alfred had done just that, and Matthieu had screamed like a girl so loudly that the Librarian had booted them both out; much to Matthieu’s disdain. He hadn’t spoken to Alfred for a week except in rapid French, just to prove how angry he was.
But his lesson had been learnt, and he had taken to keeping his back to a wall and his senses about him so that he could see someone coming. School was a bloody war, Matt had come to realise, and he was a god's damned warrior, thrust into the fray. Tapping the inkwell of the quill to the desk, his eyes flicked upward to peer at his sister, the sweeter of the pair of twins, walking toward him with two cups. A smile bloomed on the eldest lips, and he quickly pushed back his chair, standing to move a few stacks of books to the floor so she could have space, and pulled out her chair for her-- as taught to him in his 16 years of being raised by just as many women.
“Come, sit. We can talk, seeing as you have come all this way with a wonderful gift.” He gently pat the chair and smiled warmly, his voice barely above a whisper so as not to draw attention upon themselves, “How did you manage to get those past the librarian, ma douce petite soeur?” He questioned softly, peering into the glasses with a hint of excitement in his violet jewels. It looked like coffee, it smelled of coffee. He could just hug the girl, but he didn’t want her to spill the contents of the cups and get them in more trouble than they would be in if they were ever caught.
The Librarian was not someone to be trifled with.
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made by duke of gangnam style |
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17 posts
PLAYED BY Lilz
Gryffindor
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Post by Maddie Fitzgerald on Jan 4, 2018 0:28:51 GMT
Madeleine's smile grew softly to answer the one on Matthieu's face. She always felt completely at ease with her eldest brother (and she was nearly always at ease with Alfred). As he pushed back his chair and moved some of the books to the floor, she came to a stop near the table.
“Come, sit. We can talk, seeing as you have come all this way with a wonderful gift. How did you manage to get those past the librarian, ma douce petite soeur?”
Ever so carefully, still not completely trusting the charm she'd put on the cups, Madeleine sat them on the table. And then she looked up at him, face carefully blank as she asked the first thing on her mind. "So, that means that if I hadn't come with these... we couldn't have talked?" The instant she'd let the words out of her mouth, though, she was shaking her head. "I-I'm only teasing, I know you'd let me join you." A pause, and then, "You... you would, right? Let me? If I hadn't?" She'd never test it, of course - so long as she could get the coffee to him, she would.
... Hopefully that had distracted him enough that he wouldn't ask again how she'd managed to get past the librarian. Honestly, she wasn't sure. Part of her wondered if it was because she'd yet to be at all problematic in the library - never loud, always neatened things, exceedingly polite in all of her dealings with the librarian. Part of her wondered if the librarian just... looked right through her. That happened sometimes. Maddie just didn't have much of a presence; she knew that for sure. Amelia was the one that got people to notice them.
"I'm... I'm not interrupting your studies, am I? I'm sorry if I am."
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30 posts
PLAYED BY Maddox
Ravenclaw
T'es rien qu'un petit connard, Alfred.
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Post by Matthieu Williams on Jan 4, 2018 8:06:48 GMT
| We all are living in a dream But life ain’t what it seems Oh everything’s a mess And all these sorrows I have seen They lead me to believe That everything’s a mess
But I wanna dream | He could not hide his bemused smile as Madeline set down the glasses, speaking obvious teases and jest. Tilting his head slightly, the canadian male would hold a glint in his violet eyes, a playfulness that was reserved for only his siblings. “Madeline, you know well that you are always welcome at my table, I enjoy your company. That, and you do not attack me for no reason loudly in a library. I can multitask well, but your company makes it more enjoyable.” He would lift his quill and smile softly at the cups of coffee, “Though, the fact you bring me coffee every time makes it easy to accept you, your little bribe.” He teased playfully with a quick little wink.
His fingers lifted to hover one cup, then the other as if to question the younger femme which was his, his eyes glittering a bit, “Sœur, do you think they will hold a ball this year? I heard rumours that Hogwarts used to hold one every few years.” He would glance up at the beautiful girl, his eyes glittering a bit at his sudden thought, “If they do while we are both here, you must let me repay your kindness by doing your make-up and hair. It might shock you to learn your grand frère is quite good with those things.”
There was much he had not told his siblings, about his veela heritage, about his family life, even about his sexuality. He feared that telling any of them how he was raised, how he wasn’t completely human… they might reject him. And the three of them have become so important to him, and he not only took a great honour to their acceptance but a stark fear that one day they would leave him. Most of him knew it was irrational. If the cup of coffee that sat warm on the table showed the teen anything, it was that he was clearly loved…
But that seed of doubt still lingered.
“Ah… Or if you ever have a date, too!” He quickly and quietly interjected, his cheeks turning a hew of pink. He was sure the girl before him would question how he knew such things-- maybe he could trust her with his secret. Lifting one of the mugs, he took a quick sip to distract himself from the situation he had just placed himself in…
This conversation was starting off terribly.
Matt has secrets. Can he trust Maddie? ouo |
made by duke of gangnam style |
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17 posts
PLAYED BY Lilz
Gryffindor
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Post by Maddie Fitzgerald on Jan 4, 2018 17:45:59 GMT
"Madeleine, you know well that you are always welcome at my table."That small statement set her once more at ease, only compounded by the fact that he enjoyed her company. She enjoyed his, too. Though it had always been Amelia asking for brothers, though Maddie had always protested that everything was fine in their family just as it was, some small and fervently silenced part of her had wondered what it would be like. Now she knew - and now, she wondered how she'd ever done without. Matthieu was so calming to be around; Alfred so much fun. (And of course Amelia, her best friend, was comforting and exasperating all at once.) "Though, the fact you bring me coffee every time makes it easy to accept you, your little bribe." Her smile widened just a bit at the jibe. "I'm just glad I've been able to. But..." she paused, glancing at the mugs as he held his hand out over first one, then the other. "I'm... I'm not quite certain that I've got the charm correct so that they don't spill. I think I do, but... I'd feel terrible if something happened to any of the books. Will you check?" And then, realizing precisely what he was asking, she giggled softly. "They're the same, Mattie. It doesn't matter which you'd like." They liked their coffee close enough to 'exactly the same' that it never mattered. A ball? She tilted her head as she finally sat in the proffered seat. "I... I'd like it if they would. Just so one day, I can say that I went to one." Her cheeks flushed faintly. "Not that I think I'm a good dancer, or... or, well, good at being around so many people. But..." she sighed. "Maybe."“If they do while we are both here, you must let me repay your kindness by doing your make-up and hair. It might shock you to learn your grand frère is quite good with those things.”His offer had her looking back up at him, curiosity evident even though she wasn't entirely certain she could ask. A moment passed, in which the offer was extended to the possibility of her ever having a date, and then finally she found the words she was looking for. "I... I'd like that very much, Mattie. But... when did you have time to learn those things when you're always reading?" She thought, perhaps, that that was an easy way to ask. Surely he wouldn't find the question nosy or rude? Even as she wondered, an apology was on the tip of her tongue... but for the moment, she was able to hold it back. She did really want to know.
Maddie is good at keeping secrets, Matthieu Williams... so long as Amelia doesn't think Maddie knows something. Hard to keep secrets from your twin!
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30 posts
PLAYED BY Maddox
Ravenclaw
T'es rien qu'un petit connard, Alfred.
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Post by Matthieu Williams on Jan 5, 2018 10:44:57 GMT
| We all are living in a dream But life ain’t what it seems Oh everything’s a mess And all these sorrows I have seen They lead me to believe That everything’s a mess
But I wanna dream | “But... when did you have time to learn those things when you're always reading?”
Yep, there it was. The question he knew would fall to the table like a ton of books. Pressing his lips firmly to the lip of the warm mug without sipping the heated liquid, he debated explaining his life beyond Hogwarts. It would be easy to lie, but he couldn’t just… lie. No, not to his siblings. Setting down his glass finally, the teen would sigh softly before forcing a smile. It was story time, he guessed…
Fingers lingered on the mug, coiling around the porcelain as he replayed the words he planned to say in his head. He knew well that Madeline and Amelia were born with a silver spoon in their mouths and that their father was now happily married. He was happy for him, not at all angry like he probably should be… It was life, it was how things worked. Tapping the mug with a nail, he ushered a sigh, “You know our father has never been a good man. With Alfred, he knew about him. He knew he existed. My mother decided never to tell him, or she didn’t know exactly who until later… I’m not sure. My mother is not like your mother, she isn’t a housewife or a day-job worker. My mother is a dame. She runs a brothel in the magical district of Quebec.” He explained softly, not able to bring himself to look at the younger woman before him.
“I was actually not even expected, I was a surprise when I was born. Mother said she wasn’t thrilled to have me, however. She was a worker when I was born, but became the Dame before I started walking. There are 15 women who live in the house where I grew up. I had a room by the office, that had access to a living-like room. But I was raised by them all. And…” He smiled a bit, a soft chuckle on his lips, “When you’re raised by 16 women, you learn a thing or two-- Like makeup and how to do hair. You also learn about other things, but I’m sure you know them too.”
He shook his head some and glanced up, “I don’t think our father even knows I exist, and honestly I would rather it stay that way. I don’t want to cause anyone any hardship, and I’m quite happy with how my life has been. It might sound weird, or crazy… But I never saw what happened at night, it was like an open secret my whole life. I knew but I was kept from it. And I mean, I have like 15 aunties and mums… I feel really lucky.”
He would sip his drink for a moment, before setting down the glass once more, “Do you think that’s weird?”
ouo these two are cuties lol |
made by duke of gangnam style |
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17 posts
PLAYED BY Lilz
Gryffindor
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Post by Maddie Fitzgerald on Jan 5, 2018 16:59:21 GMT
As the silence dragged on, that apology was closer and closer to escaping. His sigh had her taking a breath to begin explaining - it really wasn't important for her to know she shouldn't have asked she was so sorry he didn't have to tell her anything - and then he shifted. She couldn't interrupt him now. She'd just apologize in a minute. Maddie watched his fingers curl tighter around the mug of coffee in front of him; her own tightened reflexively on hers. She hadn't meant to upset him, really. She'd just... she'd been curious. But there was that saying, that old 'curiosity killed the cat' saying that she never really liked because, well, poor kitty - but then... it had proven true just now, hadn't it? "You know our father has never been a good man." Madeleine wanted to protest that. Papa was... was good to her and Amelia, he'd looked out for them, cared for them. Still cared for them. He'd provided everything they could ever want, within reason. But that would sound hollow and shallow spoken aloud to one the half-brother she'd never known existed until her time at school. And so she kept her peace, and let Matthieu speak uninterrupted. "My mother decided never to tell him, or she didn't know exactly who until later... I'm not sure." This confused her for the barest instant - and then he'd continued onwards. Her eyes dropped to her mug, watching the steam rising in soft swirls. As he continued to speak, she chewed lightly on the inside of her bottom lip. His mother... the other women in the place he'd grown up... how did one even address anything like this? An apology wouldn't do - she didn't want to accidentally offend him. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with that lifestyle, so long as those that were in it chose it, right? "I don't think our father even knows I exist, and honestly I would rather it stay that way." Her heart ached. Why had she and Amelia been the lucky ones? What was so special about them? But this wasn't time for her to focus on herself; she had to stay strong so that Mattie didn't worry about her. "Do you think that's weird?" Finally, she looked back up at him, uncertainty visible for the barest instant before it faded away into reassurance. "What... why would it be weird for you to grow up somewhere you're loved, and... and looked after, Mattie?" Her lips curved in a faint smile, even as she reached out one hand to him. "Je t'aime, grand frère. Nothing's going to change that. Ever." They were family now, and no matter what anyone else said about Papa (or what her own thoughts were on the matter), he'd given them each other in some strange sense of things.
Matthieu Williams, you'll have to forgive her if she's a little uncertain about Papa. She's still trying to comprehend everything |
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30 posts
PLAYED BY Maddox
Ravenclaw
T'es rien qu'un petit connard, Alfred.
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Post by Matthieu Williams on Jan 6, 2018 0:01:44 GMT
[nospaces] [attr="class","biggie"]  [attr="class","textie"] "Je t'aime, grand frère. Nothing's going to change that. Ever." He could not hide the smile he held as his hand moved to squeeze her’s, "Je t’aime, Madeline. You are a blessing in my life. You and Amelia both, and even Alfred-- even if he’s an asshole." He would chuckle a bit and squeeze her hand once more before letting go. “I know you’ve had the hardest time adjusting to this, you always see the positive in people-- which isn’t a bad thing. It’s honourable and beautiful. Don’t let your father’s past-- which happened before you were born, affect you now. He made mistakes against your mother, and has clearly atoned for them if they are still happily married.”[break][break] He would smile warmly as he took a heavy sip of his drink, enjoying the flavour and the aroma of it as he sighed softly and shook his head some after a moment, “That’s what matters.” He said warmly as his glass sat to the table, before looking it over and testing the charm carefully that Maddie had been working on. The wand movements of it was easy, it was the latin that was tricky. Pulling out his wand, the teen flicked it above the container before tapping it, latin murmured from his lips. It only took a second, and he would gently tap the glass and tilt it heavily, but before a drop could spill it would quickly tilt upright.[break][break] “You’ve almost got it.” He would say with a glitter in his eyes, “I think a few more times and you’ll have it down. Maybe you should try with a goblet or a stein at dinner tonight, if you spill it, it won’t be that big of a deal. The tables will keep the liquid from falling off the wood.” He mused a bit, “And the professors can’t be mad at you if you say you’re working on your charms!”[break][break] Matt would clearly be so proud of the girl before him, his smile beaming and his violet eyes glittering with excitement at the idea of the woman learning something she had put so much effort into. Charms were not easy, even if the came so to him. There were still some advanced ones that caused him some issue, yet he didn’t give up and hoped his sister would continue to do the same. [break][break] “I have complete faith in you, Maddie.”
Don't worry, Maddie, Matt understands <3 [attr="class","iconie"]  [newclass=.biggie]-webkit-transitionduration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover]margin-left:-300px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.textie]opacity:0;margin-top:-425px;margin-bottom:150px;width:300px;height:400px;padding:10px;background-color:#fff;border:solid 1px #b7b7b7;color:#939393;text-align:justify;overflow:auto;margin-left:0px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;font:11px calibri;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover .textie]opacity:1;margin-left:610px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.textie::-webkit-scrollbar]width:10px;background:#fff;[/newclass] [newclass=.textie::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background:#b7b7b7;border:2px solid #fff;[/newclass] [newclass=.iconie]opacity:0;margin-top:-240px;margin-left:-220px;margin-bottom:50px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover .iconie]opacity:1;[/newclass] [newclass=.tagsie]opacity:0;font:11px calibri;color:#b7b7b7;margin-top:-75px;margin-left:-5px;margin-bottom:40px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover .tagsie]opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] |
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17 posts
PLAYED BY Lilz
Gryffindor
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Post by Maddie Fitzgerald on Jan 11, 2018 19:50:06 GMT
"Je t'aime, Madeleine. You are a blessing in my life. You and Amelia both, and even Alfred-- even if he's an asshole." Maddie smiled, repressing the urge to giggle. No, she wouldn't. That wasn't nice to Alfred. Alfred was just... a bit brash, sometimes, and sometimes he didn't think things all the way through, and he was very hard headed... but above all that, he had ambition, and ideas, and a protective and competitive streak a mile wide. "You always see the positive in people-- which isn't a bad thing." Ah. Well... she'd just silently proved Mattie right, hadn't she? "I... I try. Sometimes it's hard, though." Her voice, soft already, dropped even lower. "I still don't understand why - but... well, maybe I'm not supposed to. Or... or maybe I never will. It's... maybe it's silly to want to understand... I mean, I've got you and Alfie and Amelia... and we're a family now, and that's all that matters, right?" She'd take his answer to heart; Matthieu always seemed to have the right things to say. He was the oldest of them all, after all. And he seemed to understand her sometimes almost better than Amelia did, and certainly better than her parents. She watched with bright eyes as he tested the charm she'd put on the mugs, both faintly worried and completely at ease. Mattie wouldn't let anything happen to the books... but she so wanted to get this charm right. Hearing that she almost had it - and then his suggestion to practice it at supper this evening - had her smiling. "But, frère, my classmates probably wouldn't be happy if I spilled drink on their food!" No, she was pretty sure they'd all be grumpy. And, being who she was, she much preferred to not cause problems for anyone.
"I have complete faith in you, Maddie." Oh. Well... she couldn't let him down. Not her grand frère... and certainly not when he'd been the biggest help to her with her Charms studies. "I promise, I'll keep working on it. I... I want to get it right, because then I'll know I can do anything else I put my mind to." Sometimes, having faith in herself was the hardest thing for Maddie... faith in everyone else, sure. She knew her siblings were going to do well in their lives; her friends, too, she had utmost faith in. Perhaps one day, she'd ask someone what they thought of her own goals... but until she thought she was ready to hear the answer - no matter what it might be - she'd wait.
Matthieu Williams - she's glad someone does;;
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30 posts
PLAYED BY Maddox
Ravenclaw
T'es rien qu'un petit connard, Alfred.
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Post by Matthieu Williams on Jan 18, 2018 19:41:54 GMT
[nospaces] [attr="class","biggie"] [attr="class","textie"] "But, frère, my classmates probably wouldn't be happy if I spilled drink on their food!"[break][break] A smile bloomed on his lips as a chuckle fell into a loose fist, the idea of anyone being cross for too long at Madeleine was humorous to him for the pure ridiculousness of it. Yet the mental image of other Gryffindors being upset about some water did give the Canadian male a sense of Schadenfreude. They were such an annoying lot, there were only a few that he could actually stand-- Maddie and Amelia and even their cousin-- even though he claimed to be neutral on class affiliation. Still smiling happily, the Canadian would press his elbow to the desk and leant into his palm, smiling at his sister, “You could always get someone like Amelia of Alfie to help you somewhere, then. Maybe outside? I could help as well… make it a Fitzgerald clan excursion. Maybe we can finally get those two to talk about more than Quidditch, too.” He smiled a bit more.[break][break] His eyes softened some as his free hand lifted from his mug to grasp her fingers with his, “Maddie, you’re a great witch. You’re beautiful, powerful and smart. You’re a Fitzgerald, and I know that means you have a weight on your shoulders… but don’t worry so much okay?” He would smile at his sister as his hand gently tightened around her in an act of reassurance in herself. He wanted to see her smile and be happy, not fret over little things like a charm-- though he understood the fretting… he would be the same way. “I know, you will do great things one day. I have no doubt I will one day proudly claim you as my sister. -- I mean I do now, but-- You understand what I mean...”[break][break] Pulling his hand back, the Canadian blushed lightly, “But yeah… How are things other than charms, Maddie? How’s the Gryffindor house? How have you been?” He asked with a small tilt of his head.
Sorry for the wait, I hope this is okay! [attr="class","iconie"] [newclass=.biggie]-webkit-transitionduration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover]margin-left:-300px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.textie]opacity:0;margin-top:-425px;margin-bottom:150px;width:300px;height:400px;padding:10px;background-color:#fff;border:solid 1px #b7b7b7;color:#939393;text-align:justify;overflow:auto;margin-left:0px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;font:11px calibri;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover .textie]opacity:1;margin-left:610px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.textie::-webkit-scrollbar]width:10px;background:#fff;[/newclass] [newclass=.textie::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background:#b7b7b7;border:2px solid #fff;[/newclass] [newclass=.iconie]opacity:0;margin-top:-240px;margin-left:-220px;margin-bottom:50px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover .iconie]opacity:1;[/newclass] [newclass=.tagsie]opacity:0;font:11px calibri;color:#b7b7b7;margin-top:-75px;margin-left:-5px;margin-bottom:40px;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] [newclass=.biggie:hover .tagsie]opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.5s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass] |
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17 posts
PLAYED BY Lilz
Gryffindor
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Post by Maddie Fitzgerald on Feb 19, 2018 0:45:29 GMT
"You could always get someone like Amelia or Alfie to help you somewhere, then. Maybe outside?" For a moment, Maddie was worried Mathieu was excluding himself. She wouldn't let him do that, though... he should spend time out of the library sometimes! And then he'd continued with offering to join them. A smile crossed her lips, one that evolved into quiet, muffled giggles as he suggested being able to get Alfie and Amelia to talk about something other than Quidditch. "Or comics." She added, once she had her amusement under control... a bit. Granted, both of them had tried to interest her in the world of Marvelous or BC or whatever it was. (TC? VC? DC? No that wasn't right.) Still, when he reached out and took her hand, telling her she was a great witch, she wasn't sure she could believe him. Sure, she wanted to... but was she? She could hardly keep herself together some days, much less keep her family together. And sometimes, she felt like she was the only one who would even attempt to try. It was... it was a lot. And Mattie was the only one who might understand, even just a little. "You’re a Fitzgerald, and I know that means you have a weight on your shoulders." A soft, humorless laugh left her at that statement. "More than I ever realized, frère." She didn't meet his eyes. "Because... because it's my job to keep Amelia out of trouble, and keep things calm at home. It... it bothers Papa, that Amelia's pulling away from him, but... I can't tell him why. He wouldn't listen if I did, and even if I tried, Amelia might get mad." She took a breath, and continued. "And I've got to make something of myself - Amelia and I both do - because we're Fitzgeralds, but I'm not entirely sure that what I want to do would be entirely accepted as something 'good' enough and..." She sighed, and shook her head, falling silent. "I have no doubt I will one day proudly claim you as my sister. -- I mean I do now, but-- You understand what I mean...”
"I know what you mean, Mattie." That, at least, got the smile out of her. "And I'm glad I can say you're my brother." Even if familial relations at home were strained, at least she had her brothers here at school. She adored them.
“But yeah… How are things other than charms, Maddie? How’s the Gryffindor house? How have you been?” "Oh, Gryffindor house is as loud as usual." A half-smile crossed her lips. "But I've got Amelia there most times to help." Or hinder, as the case might be. "I've been well. A little... a little worried, but... I'm sure it'll get better." Wouldn't it?
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