Scattergood MOO

In a corner somwhere out of the small crowd gathered in the bookstore, Michele stands with one hand holding a book to her face, while the other is busy fingering the spines of the tomes sitting on the shelf in front of her. She moves her lips silently as she reads, apparently unperturbed by the small, sulky looking little girl pulling irritably at the sleeve of her robe. “Souer, souer.” She pines to her older sibling, looking hopefully over to the more brightly colored children’s section at the other end of the store. But Michele only bats her sister’s away gently, and reads on.

The little girl’s eyes widen when she is spoken to, and for a moment she looks almost terrified. But then the pouting creeps back into her features as she responds, a little haughtily, “I know.”, and turns her curly head quickly away. At her sister’s voice, Michele finally looks up from her book, first at her sibling, then at Paige. She looks the girl over almost appraisingly for a moment before speaking, “Hello. I hope I’m not in your way.”

Looking up as she hears a voice, Paige seems startled. “Oh, hello,” she greets quietly. “No, you’re not at all. I’m just… waiting for my sister.” Paige’s face settles into a bit of a glare as she admits this. “Hey, you’re in my year, aren’t you? At school?” She leaves off at this, clearly unsure of any of the further details. “I’m Paige.” This is spoke quietly and she almost blushes as she continues. “Paige Brennan.”

“I’m Michele Rossignolet”, she replies with exquisite proununciation of the French syllables. “I suppose you must be in my year, because your name sounds familiar.” She seems to look over Paige again, trying to recognize her, but only gives a very slight shake of her head. At her side, her sister appears to have found distraction in a dusty looking old book, which she flips through silently. Michele spares a relieved sort of glance. “What’s your Hall? Mine is Yates.”"

“I’m in, ehm, Brennan Hall,” Paige answers as casually as she can manage, biting her lip as she does so. “How old is she?” Paige asks quietly, inclining her head toward Michele’s sister subtly. “Is she going to Scattergood soon?” She pauses again. “I do think I’ve seen you around. I don’t… really talk a lot to people, though. What classes are you picking up? I picked music and Muggle Studies.”

“Laure, how old are you?” Michele taps the girl on the head, questioning her with a sweet, half sing-song voice. “Six.” Laure replies, looking up at her sister as if she’s gone mad, having to ask her age! The elder girl shrugs gracefully at Paige. “She’s shy.”, she explains, “I suppose she’ll go to Scattergood eventually, unless she goes to Beauxbatons. In any case, ” she rests her hand absently on the little one’s hair, “I’m taking music as well, and Acient Runes.” Judging from the enthusiasm in her voice, she seems rather more excited about the latter.

Paige stares for a moment at the exchange, opening her mouth to speak, then deciding against it. “I am excited for the music class. Mother doesn’t let me do much music at home. She says it gives her a headache. Ancient Runes sounds hard. Aren’t you worried about the workload?” Paige quirks her head, tucking a stray curl behind her ear and pushing her glasses back into place. “My sisters said that I shouldn’t take classes like that anyway. It isn’t, um… becoming for a lady or something. I don’t remember exactly.”

“Intelligence is a fine characteristic for a lady.” Michele responds flatly, as if it were a fact of the same nature as one plus one equalling two. “But, no, I’m not concerned about the workload. I enjoy the work, and Ancient Runes sounds like a fascinating class.” After a short pause she speaks again, sounding a little like she is confiding a secret, “I can’t say I have much interest in music, however, but, well, you know how parents are. My father wants me to take it.”

“I — just know what my sisters told me, that’s all,” Paige whispers, blushing as she looks down at her feet. She rubs the toe of her shoe on the floor as if trying to rub out a spot for a moment before looking up again. “I — suppose you’re right, though.” She pauses. “Lucie and Lanie say that ladies are supposed to be pretty and charming and that if I’m to be either I should focus on fixing my hair and not learning, erm, mumbo-jumbo.” She shrugs vaguely at this. “I think music is fascinating, though. It can be so emotional, you know?” She stops short, unsure of what else to say. “Are you looking for a specific book?”

“No, I’m only browsing.” Michele shakes her head, fine, dark curls bouncing against her cheeks. “My, but you certainly change the topic quickly.” She adds, then blinks, and smiles a bit apologetically. “Er– not that I mean that badly. Forgive me, I can be a bit…tactless. In any case,” she continues rapidly, as if she’d rather not give Paige time to agree, “I can hardly imagine a person who charming without being intelligent. There’s nothing worse than someone who is vain and vapid.”

“I guess I’m just… awkward. My sisters tell me that’s why I, um… don’t have normal conversation.” Paige pauses. “I think my sisters are vain, but mother encourages them. They enjoy it, though, so I guess it can’t be all bad, right?” She shrugs. “Your name is French, right? Maybe you can help me with my French. Mother wants us all to learn, but I am dismal at it and my sisters won’t help me.”

Michele makes a disgusted face. “I can’t imagine encouraging vanity. At least…not without a reason. Anyway, I’m always being accused of having odd conversations, myself. It drives my mother crazy. She’s always correcting my behavior.” Her lips form a slight smile now. “And, yes, my name is French. Both of my parents are from Paris. Perhaps when we’re at Scattergood I can help you with. It isn’t a difficult language, and I’d like to keep in practice.”

Shrugging vaguely at the comment about vanity, Paige chooses to say nothing – perhaps because she has nothing to say in defense of her flighty older sisters. “It would be nice if you would help me. I’m so horrid at it and I just don’t want to be so bad anymore. My parents will leave me alone about it after that, maybe.” She shrugs again then smiles. “So are you excited about school — oh, I guess I already asked that.” She looks down at her feet again for a moment. “Mayb–” Paige is interrupted. “Paige. I have been looking for you. It’s time to go. Tell your little friend goodbye.” Lanie taps her foot impatiently, looking somewhat dissheveled as she attempts to look nonchalant. “I guess I, er, have to go. I’ll see you around, right?” Paige starts to walk slowly toward her sister.

“I’m sure you will.” Michele replies, with a flicker of a frown on her face as she glances from Lanie to Paige, but then she smiles slightly at the younger girl. “It nice to meet you.” She adds, then buries herself back into her book, not bothering to watch her schoolmate leave. Laure, still at her sister’s side, begins a new attack of whining in earnest with Paige’s departure.

“A-alright,” Paige replies and as she gets within arm’s reach of her sister, she gasps. Lanie has grabbed her arm and started to stalk off. “It was nice to meet you, Michele, bye–ooof!” she calls as she is dragged out of the store abruptly.”

Filed under: 1950, Miscellaneous