"So apparently Sadie has a boyfriend." Nella mentioned to Tina and Evelyn while they eat waffles.
"Wait, seriously, how did you know?" Evelyn asked, surprised.
"Sadie told me. I want to go collect flowers this Sunday so I asked her for permission and she told me she would come with us and bring her boyfriend," Nella explained.
"Yeah, I met him, his name is Wade." Tina told them.
"How much time are they together? You met him in the Orphanage?" Evelyn wondered.
"No, they started dating again only now, after a break; he is also a No-Maj-born." Tina explained.
"If you already mentioned that, can we talk about Hazel?" Nella asked Tina.
"What is there to talk about?" Tina asked back.
"You will need to speak to her at some point." Nella pointed out.
"I can't just forgive her." Tina folded her arms.
"I'm with Tina on this, if I would tell you something private about me, I wouldn't want you tell this to the whole class." Evelyn mentioned.
Tina smiled softly at her. It seemed to her that Nella was the one who pushed Evelyn to her side but she just realized it was quite the opposite. "Thanks for understanding."
"So, are we really going on a field trip in the mountain without Hazel? I feel bad about that," Nella told them.
"She'll managed." Evelyn stated.
"But what would Sadie think?" Nella asked.
"I'm going to assume Hazel already told her about this whole story." Tina mentioned.
"So, why didn't she mention that to you?" Evelyn wondered.
"Because Sadie loves to talk with me about serious things only in our weekly walks to the Orphanage." Tina sighed, she really hated that.
"So, please don't get mad at her on Saturday, because we'll be with her all day long on Sunday." Nella reminded her.
"Fine," Tina rolled her eyes as they got up from the table and walked toward the Defence Against Dark Arts classroom.
"How are you feeling after the last lesson? I'm sorry about that, it was too harsh to teach you about werewolves in this age," Professor Jauncey apologized before she started the lesson, "now we'll continue to study about ghosts, this lesson will be on animal ghosts."
"Are you in a mood to listen to the professor this time?" Evelyn asked Tina.
"I better be or else he would give me another extra essay to write. This one was hard enough, I almost confused between Emeric Switch and Emeric the Evil." Tina complained.
"Who is Emeric the Evil?" Nella wondered.
"Someone from the British history. Never mind, as long as I don't get in trouble with Prott everything is fine, I don't want to imagine what he would do to me if I would give him the wrong essay." Tina shivered.
"Well, he would have punished you very hard." Nella told her.
"Come on, he can't be that bad, it's just rumors." Evelyn said.
"Do you want to take a chance with him?" Tina asked her.
"No, no, but I think they made us worry too much," Evelyn shrugged.
"Let's hope we won't have to deal with it, because I don't care if it just stories it's working, it made us fear him." Nella stated and hushed them up because they arrived at the classroom.
Tina put her essay on Prott's table who looked at her with his usual stern look. "I hope you'll listen in this lesson and if not don't complain about my decision to give you another extra essay."
Tina nodded quietly and went to sit next to Nella. "Maybe now that you sit next to me it would be easier for you to listen." Nella whispered.
"Just don't let the professor think about that." Tina whispered back.
But, it's exactly what Professor Prott thought about during the lesson. Before they went out of the classroom the professor stopped them. "Great you listened today, Goldstein. I like it when you and Everglade are together you are more in the lesson, I want this sitting arrangement to be permanent."
Tina and Nella glanced each other and nodded. "It was supposed to be temporary!" Evelyn called after they left the classroom.
"Don't worry, it'll be interesting to change who we sit next to. Maybe in Arithmancy you'll sit next to Tina and I'll be next to Hazel." Nella offered.
"Yeah, sure, I don't mind." Tina shrugged, she only didn't want to sit next to Hazel now, she didn't care who sit next to her. She felt a bit guilty for making them switch places all the time. But sitting next to Nella was fun, she was a good student who also wanted to learn and was using ink in different colors every day, it was very nice. Sitting next to Nella felt more magical, more normal. Hazel would normally ask questions about the wizarding world and about things she didn't understand all the time and it was a bit annoying. Tina actually wanted to see what it'll be like sitting next to Evelyn now, even though they are in Ilvermorny for two months they haven't sat together in a lesson before.
"Alright," Evelyn gave in.
"Who do you think we'll get in the pumpkin names tomorrow?" Tina changed the subject as they sat to eat lunch.
"We should wait and see tomorrow." Nella said.
"I really should finish making my pumpkin but today I have the Texas gathering." Evelyn sighed.
Tina paled, right, it's Thursday. Meaning both Nella and Evelyn have their state gathering, she needs to find something to do in the afternoon or she'll found herself in her room with Hazel and maybe Regina.
Sitting next to Evelyn in Arithmancy wasn't that bad, she didn't like this lesson but she didn't try to talk to Tina as much as Hazel did. Evelyn was somewhere between Nella and Hazel. Tina didn't realize that Hazel might not be letting her study as well as she could. But maybe she should consider it to be something permanent so she could be a better student.
"Wait, how come you two have a gathering in the same time?" Tina wondered before Nella and Evelyn left the room, she was surprised she hasn't notice it before now.
"Professor Twinkle is the one in charge on my gathering and at Evelyn it's Professor Twigs." Nella explained.
"Yes, that why most of the times there are two gathering in the same time but it's very weird we both have it and we're roommates." Evelyn mentioned and waved Tina for a goodbye.
Tina decided to go do her homework in the main room instead so she quickly left afterward ignoring Hazel completely. After few minutes Phiri and Astrid arrived. "Seeing you here is new." Astrid stated.
"Evelyn and Nella are in the gatherings and I didn't want to stay in my room so I came here. But it's a bit crowded and loud. It's my first time sitting in the main room and it's very weird for me to be here with all the older students." Tina told them.
"You gave Prott the essay?" Phiri asked.
"Yes, the right one, I checked." Tina chuckled.
"That's good." Astrid said, smiling.
Phiri and Astrid sat in silence near Tina to give her a company. "That's it, I finished my homework." Tina announced to them.
"Want to come to our room and help us make the pumpkins?" Phiri offered her.
"Sure," Tina nodded and got up.
They planned to get out from the main room but Imogen come to them quickly, blocking their way. "You won't believe what happened!"
"Yes, Imogen, what happened?" Astrid took the bait.
"Perdita got an offer from the eagles!" Imogen called.
"What?!" Someone asked, it was Nia, her face was really near Pablo's like she stopped a kiss between them in the middle because of the news. She was clearly surprised.
"I totally forgot they are a couple." Tina whispered to Phiri.
"I don't think I even knew that." Phiri whispered back with a weird face.
"Yes, she is the first one to get an offer from all the seventh-year students!" Imogen smiled widely.
"How come she is the first?" Nia wondered, insulted.
"Well, Perdita is one of the best players." Hans Colt, one of the other Quodpot players, stated.
"Don't worry, Nia, now the offers are from the lame teams, you'll get a decent offer from a good team." Pablo reassured her, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"But getting few offers is much nicer. I want to have a choice and, in that rate, I'll get only one offer." Nia complained.
"Until that moment I didn't realize why Evelyn hates her so much. She is... not very nice." Tina muttered to the other three girls.
"How she got to be the captain?" Phiri asked Imogen.
"Nia is a good player, and dating Pablo gives her an advantage. Besides, Linus didn't want it and Dita didn't want to fight on this role so she also gave up and told Professor Pringle to give that role to Nia," Imogen explained.
"Don't forget that Clay Silverthorn got an offer before her." Lillian smiled.
"It doesn't count, he is going to his family team." Nia rolled her eyes.
Just then, Perdita came to the main room with Sadie and her other roommates, when they arrived everyone cheered. "You had to tell the whole house about that, Imogen?" Perdita scolded her sister.
"I'm sorry but this is exciting." Imogen blushed.
Sadie signed to Tina to come and talk to her now, while everyone focused on the Wallace sisters and Nia. Tina walked toward her and stood next to her while they could still listen to what's going on in the main room. "What?" She asked shortly.
"Are you alright with dealing with me for two days this weekend for also the Orphanage and Nella's little adventure?" Sadie asked out of nowhere.
"Yes, don't worry." Tina sighed; she was afraid Sadie will ask her about Hazel so that was the better option. In fact, it's three days in a row to be with Sadie, because she'll need to be in the No-Maj-borns meeting again. Tina was glad at first that Sadie is the one who is responsible for them and they know each other, but now it's felt like Sadie knows her too well and she doesn't have privacy. Sadie was the first Ilvermorny student she met because their rooms were close at the Orphanage and her age didn't matter at the vacations. Now, it's just felt strange, like Sadie is expecting something from her.
"Good, we'll talk more on Saturday." Sadie stated and got closer to where Perdita and Nia stood. They were now yelling at each other.
"That was a short conversation between the two of you." Phiri mentioned.
"It was the set up for the one in Saturday." Tina muttered.
"May I ask where you're going in Sunday?" Phiri was curious.
"Nella wants to collect flowers for the pumpkin." Tina told her.
"I'm sure Nella is going to have a very interesting pumpkin." Phiri laughed.
Tina chuckled softly from before switching to listening to the argument in the main room.
"Nia, it is not my fault I got an offer before you. I played better in our game that's all. I don't even want to play for the eagles I want a better team." Perdita called.
"I'm still the captain I should have got the offer before you." Nia said.
"That not how this is works!" Perdita reminded her.
"We missed something? Imogen, what's going on here are there Quodpot problems?" Evelyn asked right after she got back to the main room. Nella, Lonnie and another boy were behind her.
"Perdita got her first offer and Nia lost it." Imogen explained shortly.
"That's amazing." Evelyn smiled and listen to the conversation.
"Tina, you haven't met Ervin yet." Nella introduced the boy who was there, completely ignoring the conversation on Quodpot.
"Nice to meet you, Tina." Ervin smiled at her.
"So, you both from Florida?" Tina asked to make sure.
"Indeed, he also lives nearby." Nella told her.
"On the closest Island. I'm not sure how much nearby it counts." Ervin laughed.
"Sorry, Ervin but we have pumpkin a to take care of, we'll see you tomorrow in class." Astrid told him, she got really tired of the events in the main room.
"Right, he is in your class, I forgot." Nella muttered.
"That quite alright." Ervin told them.
Tina waved him and followed Phiri and Astrid back to the girls' hallway. "That was a boring discussion. Sport is the only thing that interest them?" Phiri asked.
"Apparently. I'm in the room with Evelyn and you two with Imogen and they really like Quodpot," Tina mentioned, "I need to put my homework back in my room, I'll be right back."
When Tina got inside, she saw Hazel on her bed, reading a book, ignoring that she is not alone anymore. Tina put her things on her bed, quickly and returned to the hallway. Nella was there by now too. "Look at her, you two have to talk." Nella scolded Tina.
"She seems fine to me." Tina shrugged.
"But she is not fine!" Nella called.
"Then go be with her now. I'm going to Phiri and Astrid's room." Tina stated and walked to the last room in the hallway leaving Nella behind.
The Quodpot argument was quickly forgotten because everyone returned to talk about Halloween, besides the Quodpot team. "Nia canceled our practice today! I have no idea if it's because Halloween's names picking today or because of Perdita." Evelyn called as they walked to their first lesson.
"It's probably because of the evening event." Nella tried to cheer her.
"I don't like it at all. You can never tell with Nia." Evelyn muttered.
"After what happened yesterday, I realized she really is not nice." Tina agreed.
"l know, I'm saying this all the time." Evelyn grumbled.
In the lessons no one really listened, even though Halloween is in a week. Professor Stripes tried to teach them properly but the Halloween quickly catch the lesson conversation and she didn't really know how to stop it. Professor Gold was smarter, she decided to teach them the Pompion potion. She explained about the ingredients and the recipe so they could brew it in the next lesson. From Professor Sophie Prott everyone was afraid so they let her continue to teach about Isolt's adventures.
The time for the evening meeting arrived. The pass few hours were filled with Evelyn's complaints about not having her Quodpot training. When the three of them went to the main room most of the students were already there. Their teachers were also there by now. Each one was in a different area of the room and near them, there was a pumpkin. Regina was with her older relatives and Hazel was with Elton and the rest of the No-Maj-borns. "Students, welcome to our choice of names day. Each year go stand next to the teacher responsible to you and we will start." Professor Calderon-Boot told everyone.
The first years walked to the corner where Professor Jauncey stood. "Hello first years, line up in alphabetical order, and stand in front of the pumpkin. Each one of you will pull out a parchment with a name from someone else from this year. If you get your name, switch the parchment and take another. Don't talk about the name you got, keep it as a surprise until Halloween. Leroy you're first."
Leroy blushed deeply. It seems like he really dislikes the attention of being the first one in the names list. He trembled a bit as he approached the pumpkin and pulled out a small piece of parchment. He moved out of the line so Phil could take his note. Very quickly, it was Nella and Evelyn's turn to take the notes and then Tina took hers after Elton. Tina went to stand next to Nella and Evelyn and sulked after she saw the name. On the note the name 'Oscar Buckley' was written. "What's the matter? Who did you get?" Evelyn asked after she saw Tina's reaction.
"I don't think I can tell you or show you now." Tina muttered after she looked around. They waited until the last boy, Aaron Wymore, took the last note with the last name and left.
"Good luck, in making the pumpkins. If you have any problems come talk to me." Professor Jauncey told them and released them to their rooms.
"I can't believe I got him!" Tina muttered after they got to the girls' hallway. They were in the first room, so they quickly got inside and didn't walk with the hundreds of other girls.
"Who did you get?" Regina asked her roommates, curious.
"Are we allowed to say that? Because the professor told us not to." Nella wondered.
"As long as we did not received each other's name I don't see a reason not to," Regina shrugged, "I'll start if you'll feel more comfortable with that, I'm giving to Tommy a pumpkin."
"I need to give to Oscar, from all the kids in our year why do I need to give him!" Tina complained.
"I got Mabel so I guess we had the luck to give the three annoying kids from New York." Evelyn sighed.
"Wait, has anyone of the two of you got Marine?" Regina asked Nella and Hazel.
"No, I have Ivy, which is great, because if someone would appreciate my flower pumpkin it would be her.
"The name in my note is Lincoln Patt. I have no idea who it is." Hazel mentioned.
"You'll find out." Nella reassured her.
As expected, Sadie did want to do a serious conversation on their way to the Orphanage. "We need to talk about Hazel." She stated.
"I knew you waited for today." Tina laughed bitterly.
"Yes, because I wanted to speak with you alone without anyone else around. What happened with you and Hazel is getting out of hand. I know you are mad at her, but you need to move on. You'll be roommates for the next seven years, fighting like this is not a healthy environment." Sadie told her.
"It's not like we ever going to get along with Regina." Tina reminded her.
"Yes, but Regina don't want a friendship with you girls, Hazel does." Sadie stated.
"She needed to remember that before telling the whole class about my life." Tina rolled her eyes.
"She didn't mean to hurt you; it was a mistake. Being in the wizarding world it's something very hard for her and now she lost all of her friends too. She needs the support, remember what I told you in the first day." Sadie said.
"It's not my problem and she seem very close to the other No-Maj-borns." Tina shrugged.
"Yes, but she misses you." Sadie tried to convinced her.
"It's not like you are really close to your roommates." Tina spatted, she felt sorry right away that was low.
"You don't even know my other roommates besides Perdita." Sadie said, trying not to yell.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that, I promised Nella we won't argue because you're going with us to her flowers hunch tomorrow. Can we drop that subject?" Tina lowered her head.
Sadie just nodded and the rest of the walk was silent.
"I hate to be an orphan." Tina said right away when she got inside their room, tears fell from her eyes.
"Me too," Queenie retorted.
"Every week is worst than the one before!" Tina cried and collapsed on her bed.
"May I read your mind?" Queenie asked for permission and Tina nodded. Queenie went to sit on Tina's bed without saying a word.
"Are you going to react? I can't read your mind, you know." Tina mentioned after a while.
"Yes, sorry, the No-Maj-borns meetings seem awful, our parents would have sent you a pumpkin with many candies to give if they were still here." Queenie mentioned.
"I know, I hate that, every week I find out about something else I need to do differently, because they aren't here anymore." Tina called.
"They would have sent you a huge pumpkin to give." Queenie told her.
"Yes, pumpkins and colorful feathers and inks, and I wouldn't have to meet Pearl and no one would have felt pity for me..." Tina muttered.
"And now that they all know it's harder. That's why you didn't want people to know." Queenie stated.
"I don't want to talk about that." Tina stopped her.
"You let me read your mind, and you need to talk about that. You had a big argument with one of your friends, it's not easy." Queenie mentioned.
"I'm just angry, Hazel shouldn't say that, I feel like she betrayed me." Tina lowered her head.
"You can't be mad at her forever you know. You didn't tell them it was a secret. Also, if it's bothered you Sadie always waits for today to do a serious conversation with you, then you need to tell her that, you need to speak to people or else you won't solve your problems." Queenie reminded her.
"I guess that's true." Tina sighed, even though she hates it, sometimes it really is easier that Queenie can read her mind so she doesn't need to explain everything.
"Yes, and one of the things you need to do so you could move on is to realize what happened. We know they are dead but if we don't deal with that emotionally, so we'll be frozen in time. Until now, we needed to deal with adjusting to the Orphanage and then you needed to move again to Ilvermorny and find your place there. It's been almost two months since the year started and I think now that what really happened to our parents started to sink in. Our life won't be easy anymore. That's why it hurts because you start to feel like it's real, you stopped denying it." Queenie told her and gave her sister a hug.
Tina stared at her sister, "That was very a smart thing to say. Are you sure you're only nine years old?"
"Pretty sure," Queenie laughed.
Author note: I wanted to give some house drama in this chapter, Tina barely had interaction with anyone from the older years and she didn't really know how things are in the main room.
I decided on whom giving to who in random. It's not very important but I'm glad to have fine outcome to do some plot with it.