Exploring the Castle (Open)

"Yeah, this is my third year attending one but my first time putting my name in the goblet." He was kind of nervous about getting picked but he knew he couldn't let anyone know that or word would get back to his cousin and he didnt need that.

Jackson sat down on the floor, his back against the wall. "You must be nervous. What was the trip here like?" The Beauxbatons students had come in a big ship, hadn't they? Or were they the school that had the pegasi?

Of corse he was nervous, scared even but he would never tell anyone that not even Jackson even though he thought he could trust him. He knew it wasn't possible but word might get back to Miron and he did not need to be called a wuss for yet another thing.

"I'm not nervous, I'm ready if my name gets picked." He chuckled nervously. "The trip here was Wonderful. I get tired of riding in the carriage but I guess you get used to it after a while. The carriage is quite lovely though." He sat down against a wall to get more comfortable. "Nothing special really." He casually shrugged and let out a breath.

Jackson nodded. So Beauxbatons were the ones with the pegasi. Vincent sounded nervous, even though he said he wasn't.
"What's Beauxbatons like? Is it bigger'n Hogwarts? Does it have stuff like moving staircases?" Jackson wasn't sure if moving staircases were just a magic school thing, or if it was only Hogwarts.

Vincent had to think hard on the question before answering. He had to think of the surroundings of Beauxbatons.

"The Academy is a glittering palace. The food at Beauxbatons, is delicious, but much lighter than the food served at Hogwarts. Students are "serenaded" while we dine by choirs of wood nymphs. At Christmas time the dining hall is adorned with great, non-melting ice sculptures. We do in fact have moving staircases but a little different than yours."

"That sounds ace." To be sung at while eating, Jackson imagined would make people feel special. "Do you have the same classes as here? Do you have English classes?" Or French classes, or did they just learn both languages at home? He figured most classes would be the same, but maybe there were extra classes that were different.

"Well, we have many of the same classes as here, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Muggle studies, COMC, DADA, History of Magic, Music and Flying but we also have Medical Studies, Creative Arts and Literature, Wizard Literature, Metaphysics, Hypnosis and many others." He knew that htey must have a lot of the same classes. Most of the schools coarses had to be similar but a few some schools didn't have what other schools had. "Most students learn English from home or French is their second language and they learned that at home as well."

"I'd like to take a book class, I think." Jackson smiled. "What's meta... what you said?" They had a hypnosis class? That sounded kinda dangerous...

"Metaphysics is a type of philosophy or study that uses broad concepts to help define reality and our understanding of it. Not a very interesting class in my opinion." He sat back against the wall again. That class was always a bore but it was something to do during the day and it was better than taking Wizard Literature.

"Gesundheit." Jackson replied automatically, turning his head toward the sound.

The girl looked at him and nodded politely.
"Thank you, err... I don't believe we have met. I'm Rose. Ruby Rose." She said as she held her free hand forward to give him an handshake.

"I'm Jackson Smith." Jackson grinned. "Nice to meet you." He brushed his bangs forward to be in his eyes more, not wanting to freak out Ruby Rose.

The eyes went unnoticed to Ruby.
"It's my pleasure, Jackson", she said with a faint smile. She sneezed again, covering her nose as to not spray Jackson with goo. "Sorry... I got a cold yesterday. Spent too much time in the snow, practicing Charms.", she said with a serious face and a slight shrug of shoulders.

"Gesundheit. D'you want to go to the hospital wing for a Pepperup Potion?" He offered. Being sick sucked, and they had potions to make you better. Maybe Ruby Rose just didn't think of it.

She frowned slightly and shook her head "No need, but thank you for the suggestion", she said, trying not to sound rude or unpolite, which had been a problem for her before. The truth is, she was suspicious of hospitals, enfermeries and other medical care facilities. Especially magical medical care. She didn't trust any potion that wasn't made by herself.
"So...",she said with nasaly blocked sound "What year are you on? I don't think I've ever seen you before"

"I'm in third year, you?" Jackson figured Ruby didn't like medicine or something, some people didn't.

"I'm in first year. I have to say though... I though first year would be a lot harder. Especially Charms. I just managed to grasp perfectly Wingardium Leviosa yesterday. Took me just 4 hours in the snow." She sounded really proud of herself. "I don't know what it is but... Charms are so... relaxing. What about you? What's your favorite class?" She said with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, they really kinda ease you into it, so it shouldn't ever be really really tough." Jackson nodded. "Charms is in my favourites, with Defense. I like classes where you do stuff. I don't think I'd ever describe a class as relaxing, though. Maybe exciting. But I haven't been to Herbology as much as I should, and some people find gardening relaxing..." He stopped as he realized he was rambling. Oops.

"Well when I'm practicing Charms, I usually forget about the world around me. I don't know why, but for those couple of hours I'm worry free. As for Herbology..." She stuck her tongue out and closed her eyes hard "Don't tell anyone... but I hate it." The last part of the sentence was almost a whisper and after saying it, she looked around, afraid someone else had heard it.

Jackson laughed. He didn't mean to, and covered his mouth with his hands, but it was funny. "Sorry, sorry." He chuckled. "It's just, it doesn't matter if people hear you say you hate it. Everyone has a class they don't like. I don't like History of Magic 'cause it's lots of reading in class. You just might want to be careful the professor's not around when you say it." He shrugged, grinning. "I don't really care 'cause Professor Reid knows I don't like reading in class. Why don't you like Herbology?"

She bit her lip. It was hard for her to talk about her past with someone she had just met. But she had no friends and... you have to start somewhere.
"When I was little my sister would sometimes make me eat certain ingredients that we use and plant in Herbology. She would like to see what effects it would have on me. I became intoxicated several times and when I would oblige, she would torture me..." as she finished the sentence, her fist clenched so hard, her nails dug into the skin, drawing blood. "Don't tell anyone about this..."

"Woah, hey. It's alright, of course I won't tell anyone. I'm really sorry that happened to you. Hug?" He held his arms open for a hug.

She stayed silent for a couple of seconds... "I've read about this Hug action... I think I have some memories with my parents where they would give me these hugs..."
She opened her arms and stayed like that, not knowing exactly how to give a hug.
"Err... What do I do exactly?"

Oh, man. Jackson felt really bad for her, not knowing what a hug was. He tipped his head to the side, trying to tell how far away her voice was.
"You just sort of put your arms around someone and squeeze gently." He said as he stepped forward and hugged her.