Meet and Greet [Jake, Husk]

[Lily Potter]

Lily didn't know what to say to Husk. She could tell that he was truly sad about all the stiff he said and Lily hated when people were sad. It was always something she tried to avoid. Seeing people sad.

"I'm sorry ,Husk... about all of that. It must be hard." Lily didn't really know what to say. But she wanted to say something to comfort Husk. Lily actually thought what a Husk said was brave. Talking about something as personal as what he just said to two complete strangers. It was almost the complete opposite of Lily. She barely told her friends what she thought and things about her family.

"Thanks, Jake," Lily mumbled the last thing to Jake awkwardly. Not really know what to say to him but feeling the need to say something. She supposed it wasn't the best thing in the world to say. But she couldn't think of anything else but a lame thanks. He would have to deal.

[jeneraljames]

Husk noticed how awkward he had made them feel, and he felt a little bad about that. He wasn't surprised much by Lily feeling that way, but Jacob was another story. Sure the kid wasn't the most talkative, and he always seemed to be holding back, but he didn't seem like the one to get awkward when others talked about their personal life. Then again, maybe he felt it meant he had to speak about his home life, and that seemed to be one subject that Jacob did not want to touch, at least the way he talked made it seem that way. It was as if he was tip-toeing around that kind of talk.

Husk decided he should apologize, " I didn't mean to make y'all feel awkward. I just kinda speak what I think, and there really ain't much of a filter there. But what I said is true. Until I came here, I always thought magic was just made up fairy tale stuff." He never really believed in magic growing up. It was just something that grown ups told kids about to get them to sleep at night. It was something that kids could hold onto, even in times of sorrow.

In truth, that magic was hope. It was that one thing that never left, no matter how bad things got. When news initially reached them about the ambush that took his friend's dad's life, there was the hope that maybe their dads weren't among the dead. That hope proved real for only one, and that meant that both boys lost, because of how close they had been. Their families were essentially one, and it hurt both equally.

[aero]

Jake managed to smile a bit. "It's okay. All people that were born in a Muggle background tend to think that. I guess the thought of magic has really only been a hope for Muggles that there's a completely different world out there." Jake chuckled to himself a bit. Silly Muggles.

"I think the alchemists tried to make it real but they couldn't ever make it completely real because kept having to wipe their memories. They probably came close to actually discovering magic I'd imagine..." he trailed off speculating, having already moved past the awkwardness of what Husk had said before.

He couldn't ever imagine a world without magic or house elves or blast ended screwts or Quidditch. He didn't know how it was possible (although it was obviously possible since muggles did it).

Jake snapped out of his speculation mode again and checked the time. They still had quite a bit more time.

[Lily Potter]

Lily wanted to laugh when Husk said he spoke what he thought. She didn't really know why though. It just seemed so true when he said it. She never met anyone before that wanted to talk about their life story with two complete strangers basically.

"It's okay. Don't worry about making me feel awkward. I do that to myself." Lily smiled slightly before realizing she basically admitted to being shy. She decided to add something else. To attempt to make them not realize what she said. "I've always loved fairy tales. I think it would be cool to not know about magic until you get your letter, then get to learn everything. It's a whole different world."

Even though Lily had thought about what it would be like to be a muggleborn and not know anything. She liked her life though. She would never want to change anything about it. Maybe the being shy part....

Lily didn't know what to think about this Jake guy. He seemed to be such a nerd. Yet he wasn't in Ravenclaw. She supposed a Hufflepuff could be just as smart as a Claw. But still.

[jeneraljames]

The conversation seemed odd to Husk. All three of them were thinkers, rather than talkers, so the conversation got rather quiet at times. He thought conversations were better when there was someone who would instigate the speaking, and that broke the thinker types free from their oppressive thoughts and out into the conversation. That was why he was trying to keep them talking.

When Lily admitted to making herself shy, Husk raised an eyebrow, but she quickly changed the subject. Too quickly, and Husk chuckled as she went on a tangent relating to fairy tales. It was amusing to Husk, and he had to keep himself from smiling too much. Then he responded to her other statement, "I don't know Lily. All I can tell you from experience is that it seems as if y'all purebloods have an advantage over us muggleborns since you've been around magic your entire lives.

[aero]

Jake agreed with Husk's statement about purebloods having more of an advantage. This was definitely true even if it seemed like people were being mean when they talked of purebloods having more power over the muggleborns.

"That's true Husk. Although there are some people in history that have proved that muggle borns can be just as good as purebloods-- Hermione Granger Weasley for example. I"m sure you've heard of her...?" he said the last part as a question because he wasn't sure if the Gryffindor had heard of her. "Muggle born and top of her class anyways." He thought for a moment, "And unfortunately the initial advantage purebloods have over Muggle borns makes some purebloods act more conceited and cruel towards Muggle borns. It's kind of like the Civil War in America I think." He had learned about the Civil War rather briefly in Muggle Studies and although he didn't really understand the specifics, he thought he had the jist of it.

"The white Americans acted superior the the African Americans- the same as some pure bloods act superior to the Muggle borns. Not many believe that any more though after Voldemort's influence kind of dissipated"

[Lily Potter]

Lily agreed with both Husk and Jake. That purebloods had more of an advantage. But that didn't mean muggleborns couldn't be amazing as well. She was surprised Jake brought up her Aunt. But should have known that he knew about her as well.

"Yeah. My Uncle always calls my Aunt that. She always helps me with my homework over holidays. And my dad and mom always go to her if they don't know the right spell." Lily told them honestly. She always laughed about how much they relied on her Aunt. It amused her.

Jake was getting on her nerves. She wanted to say something as her temper raised. She tried to hold it in. But first asked him a question. "Do you always answer with a book definition?" Lily heard the anger in her voice leak through. And knew she probably shouldn't have said anything but it always seemed like he was answering things he'd learned right out of his muggle studies book! It was annoying.

[jeneraljames]

Husk smiled as Jacob talked about the Civil War. He knew a lot about it, because even as a child he enjoyed studying military history and strategy. General Lee was among his favorite military generals of all time, however, and he wouldn't be caught dead saying this in the South, General William Tecumseh Sherman was his favorite military leader of all time. That man had been ahead of his time, the father of modern psychological warfare. He promised President Lincoln before he started his infamous, or famous(depending on which side you were on) March to the Sea, that he would "Make Georgia Howl". He did just that too. He left a path of destruction in his wake, including burning most of Atlanta to the ground.

After these thoughts flashed through his head, Husk decided to correct Jacob, "That whole slavery deal. That wasn't really even a major part of the war until the final year of the War. In truth it was a fight for state's rights. The South, furious at the laws that required them to stop the slave trade, wanted to secede from the Union. The North didn't think it was within a state's rights to secede, and the North declared the South to be in rebellion. They never even identified them as another country, just States in rebellion. And so brother fought brother." After his little lecture he looked over to Lily who was just starting in on Jacob for his book answers.

Husk found Lily's sudden attitude amusing, but not unexpected. His experience with shy girls had always been that they had terrible tempers once roused, and it seemed Jacob had pushed Lily too far. He couldn't do anything for the guy now or risk getting set in on by Lily himself.

[aero]

Jake blinked slightly confused. He hadn't realized that his constant facts were annoying. He sighed to himself. Lily was a thirteen year old. That had a to be a new record on the girls he had annoyed list. She was several years his junior and yet, he had managed to upset her.

"Sorry," Jake said apologetically, "I'm so used to it and nobody usually complains although I suppose it's pretty annoying. I'll try to stop." He didn't really know what else he was supposed to say other than to apologize.

Jake thought about what Husk had said. "And the North won of course?" he said it in an inquisitive tone although it was pretty obvious that they had won. He settled back in his chair. "I bet some of the Northerners would have been Hufflepuffs...they believed that the African Americans should have been free instead of traded around as slaves. Hufflepuffs think of people as equals too. Not to say that the other houses don't either..." he tried to cover up. He had resisted continuing on about Hufflepuffs and equality so he wouldn't annoy Lily even more.

[Lily Potter]

Lily kind of felt out of place. They were talking about the American Civil War. It wasn't that she didn't find it interesting or didn't know anything on the subject. It was actually the opposite. She had gone to muggle primary school and remember learning about that quite often. She actually liked learning about it.

That didn't mean she liked talking about it. She was surprised when Jake had actually said he was sorry. She was glad because she didn't want to have a fight with him. Then again. He was a hufflepuff and so it would be sooo like one of them to be completely cool about being called out by a girl younger than him.

Lily sighed before putting in her two cents. "The Civil War was just completely stupid. They fought against their own brothers. Some even killed their own. It just wasn't smart. All over something that shouldn't even have to be debated in the first place; slavery." Lily said it indifferently. Like it was something so completely obvious.

[jeneraljames]

Husk listened to both Lily and Jake's arguments about why the Civil War should have never happened. They were the same arguments he heard all the time, especially from Northerners and Brits. He sighed before beginning, "It's not that simple. Slavery was...It was common back then. They had slaves that did everything for them. They worked the fields, cooked the meals, took care of the kids, and did the cleaning. I'm going to compare it to magic, because wizards use magic for most of that." He paused, because this was where he usually got a reaction, but only for a second, and then he continued, "Now imagine that someone from another part of your country, or even the muggles, tell you that you can't use your magic anymore. That's what it was like for Northerners to tell Southerners they had to give up slavery. I guarantee you wouldn't take that lying down. No...every wizard would stand and fight for what has been theirs for centuries. Remember, first impressions aren't always right."

Then Husk thought on what Jake had said about Northerners. He chuckled, "I wouldn't say they were all about equality. I'd say many of them would be in Gryffindor, for their sheer tenacity and bravery. Some, a good many, would have gone to Hufflepuff. A few to Ravenclaw. And then there would be your fair share of Slytherins too. Not everyone fights for a good reason. Some fight, because they can." Husk had heard stories of the Northerners. Yes, the Southerners had been braver by far, they'd send some Union lines running with their Rebel Yell, but the North still had its fair share of brave fighters. He thought for a second then laughed. He felt bad for leading the conversation off on this tangent. It was an odd conversation to be having with two Brits, let alone wizards.

[aero]

Jake sighed. Muggle history was so complex and confusing. He doubted that Wizard history was any easier but at least he had a much easier time understanding it.

It took him a few minutes to process what Husk had said but he nodded, "I get what you mean. There would be very few wizards and witches that would ever give up magic. Magic's pretty much our life." He was fine with sharing the world with Muggles. They were pretty cool actually besides some of the weird words they say. But there was no way he could give up magic. He was completely reliable on magic whether or not. If it weren't for the house elves at Hogwarts and maid at home, Jake wouldn't be able to even cook food (he didn't know how to use an oven or microwave).

"Fair enough," Jake replied to the Houses -during-the-Civil-War side of the conversation. He didn't feel like arguing, not that he really had much else to say about the topic. Husk would always have a better understanding of the Civil War so there wasn't much point in debating.

[Lily Potter]

Lily was tired of this topic. She wordlessly went back to doing her homework. She didn't know why they were talking about it in the first place. Sure it was tragic and terrible. But it was the past. history. She supposed she didn't like talking about this because she hated History in itself. It drove her crazy listening to Professor Binns' lectures. She hated the subject and didn't want to talk about it now.

She looked down and started doing her potions assignment that she had almost finished before she had come to the library. It was a simple how to brew assignment and she would be able to finish it in no time. She didn't really know what else to add into the conversation so she settled for just doing homework and waited for the topic to change to something more interesting. She found it weird that she even considered talking in the first place.

[jeneraljames]

Husk listened and nodded at what Jake had to say. He also noticed Lily get quiet. She went back to doing her homework. He wasn't sure if the quietness was so she could concentrate on her homework, or if she all of a sudden decided to get shy again. "Hey there little turtle. Don't go back in your shell so quickly" Husk said with a joking smile. He hoped she knew it was a joke, because otherwise he'd be on the wrong end of a very hot temper, or so he guessed from her minor altercation with Jake.

"Come on, tell me a bit more 'bout yourselves. I mean, I don't know nothing 'bout y'all. Remember I'm just an ignant, Southern, muggle-born 'Merican, and I know nothing." Husk purposely let his drawl shine through, and he even played it up a bit with his word choice. He hoped that by playing his stereotypes in an amusing fashion would get a little more conversation. He grinned slyly at the thought of what he'd just done.

[aero]

Jake's friendly attitude was quickly stopped when Husk asked to know about Lily and his lives. He knew what this would lead to. First, they'd talk about simple stuff, like their lives- what classes, where they were born, what family members they had. But then one person would mention how much they hated/loved such and such family member or friend and then the conversation would turn to each of their reactions with people which would eventually talk about he forbidden topic of his parents. He wasn't sure how much Lily was going to share about her parents and family but he knew he wasn't going to be tricked into any of that.

"I'm going to go put this homework up." Jake lied. He was fairly good at lying although it would probably look very suspicious under the current circumstances. "I'll be back in a bit." With that, he quickly stood up and walked off, turning the corridor which would lead to the Gryffindor common room. He hoped that he would be long enough for them to have a decent conversation about their families and then they'd be done with it. Ultimately, he didn't really expect he could get away with it unless he just told them he didn't want to talk about it. But that created curiosity and questions and questions could lead to people talking to each other and rumors spreading.

Jake hated rumors. They always targeted someone and would hurt that person for something that they couldn't help or just didn't know was wrong.

Walking up the stairs, he sighed but decided that he would just have to see how the cards played out.