[For Hermione] First Week.

[halfscarlet]

Though too distracted by exploring their new surroundings with Teddy to remember school on the first day of winter, Billy makes an effort to show up for his next day of classes, with only a few stops along the way. Though he and Teddy had followed the little map and found the compound and other familiar but not buildings around it, Billy was still fascinated by the change. He'd spirited Teddy away to a few places back home thanks to his magic, and though they'd done London one date night, it had been all modern -- nothing like the kind of creepy, Victorian, boxed in London they found themselves in.

But Billy tries to keep his mind on normal things like school (as far as anything can be normal, when you're suddenly attending classes in a school building that had probably been built in the 1700s), and makes plans to meet Teddy up at the compound for lunch before his afternoon classes.

Dressed in a lot more layers than he was accostumed to under his black great coat, Billy barely feels the chill when he opens the main school door. The wind bites at his cheeks and nose and his red scarf flaps behind him, but it's still a thrill, hearing the sounds of a city (old and fake as it may be when looked at too closely) instead of the rustle of trees and beach.

Comments

[cleverness]

For four days out of the week, Hermione finds herself spending nearly her entire day holed up in the Compound classrooms. It's a far more lenient schedule than she's enjoyed in years past, and it affords her the opportunity to put the whole of her attention towards new and fascinating fields, while still providing her with ample free time to consider the needs of the island and how she can best benefit the citizens as part of the Council. These days have found her classes feeling a bit more scattered, and her mind certainly distracted for the duration, but still Hermione sticks to her schedule, which remains about the only thing that's been at all consistent since the start of December. Some people seem to spend a great deal of time wandering the shops or staying by the clothes box, but after finding a rather practical outfit on her first day, with boots more than capable of making their way through the slippery snow, Hermione chosen not to think too much about fashion, instead just trying to get through the first week without too much trouble.

All the same, it's a welcome distraction when she sees a familiar face pushing through the front doors. Shivering and stifling a laugh, Hermione walks on over, a thick scarf quickly wrapped around her neck as she ushers him in. "Well, look who it is," she greets with a wide smile. "I was wondering if we'd still see each other so often these days. I know a great deal of people are skipping class in favor of the snow."

[halfscarlet]

"And miss my education? Insanity," Billy says with a grin. If there's anyone he can count on to be just as like-minded as he is when it comes to school it's Hermione (and he does miss Annabeth at times, when he thinks about it), and he feels only slightly less of a nerd for it.

"Besides, it's way too cool having class in a school house like this."

[cleverness]

"If I wanted to play the devil's advocate, I would point out the fact that all of us are probably missing a certain type of education by being cooped up in here at all," Hermione points out, tilting her head in the direction of the exit. "I've only had brief patches of time to head out and stare at it all, but it's marvelous out there. The architecture, the history, the fashion— all of it is beyond my wildest imagination. Although, I suppose even had I tried to push my imagination to its limits, this version of London isn't even close to what would have come to mind, with all of the technology that I'm... rather certain wasn't quite this developed, back in the day."

Pressing her hand, still cool from the outside air, to her cheek, Hermione heaves a soft sigh. "But this schoolhouse is quite beautiful, yes. I used to be rather spoiled in where I went to school, but a year around the Compound classrooms sometimes makes it hard to remember."

[halfscarlet]

"Well, you went to school in a castle," Billy points out, smile bright as he remembers the hellish, thrilling time he'd spent at Hogwarts himself as part of whatever Harry's mind trip had been. Nothing like the time he'd spent in Erik's mind, but that's something he's been doing his best not to think of.

"But yeah, it's kinda great being out there. I really missed wandering around a city."

[cleverness]

"With moving stairwells and mischievous paintings misleading the whole way," Hermione agrees with a nod, eyes falling to a close longer than necessary as she thinks about wandering through the halls, hearing her steps echo against the arches, or the soft murmur of students and the swish of robes as everyone makes their way to class. "I really wish that you'd gotten to see it... in its better days. The castle's beautiful even in the midst of war, of course, but there was more of a whimsical type of magic to it when class was underway. Endless, endless fields of grass in the spring, the clouds white overhead. The island's just not the same. I appreciate the beach, and the practically relentless sun, but there are times when you just want to have sturdy walls around you and a fair roof over your head. The huts always feel a bit different."

Her smile widens. "Well, to the rest of us, at least. Not all of us are as fortunate to have a house like your own."

[halfscarlet]

"Call it the luck of the draw," Billy says with a grin, knowing full well he'd been lucky enough to ask for a cottage ahead of time once they began to take shape. Of course, it all was thanks to Billy simply wanting to catch a glimpse of a shirtless, sweaty Clark Kent from time to time, so there was something to be said for giving in to teenage instincts.

"But being here makes me realize how much I still miss New York," he says, "even if we're like, a century behind the times."

[cleverness]

"It's a very different atmosphere, indeed," Hermione nods, eying Billy's grin for a couple of seconds before she shrugs and shakes her head, her gaze spanning over the city with a soft fondness. For all its shortcomings, Hermione had to admit that the change of pace was one that she appreciated as well. "I suppose we had the chance to return to a more urban setting with Rapture, but for all that we still find ourselves among ghosts and spirits, I find the relative calm of this place greatly preferable to the other. Seeing the destruction of that other city was... well, it was rather terrifying."

Brown eyes skirting over to meet Billy's, Hermione exhales softly, breath slipping from her lips. "I can't imagine what it would be like to arrive down there. Teddy's really quite brave, managing to keep his calm in Rapture."

[halfscarlet]

The mention of Rapture still makes Billy's stomach turn; it'd been terrifying enough exploring it with Harry, but he still remembers Teddy's story and the bruises on his body for days after. The sight of them had been a shock, a reminder that they're just two teenage boys with no power and no defenses on the island.

"He is," he says, smiling a little. Teddy would die to hear Hermione say that, knowing the other boy is already as fond of her as Billy is. "He's something special."