Lettie Frenchname (letties) wrote in caged, @ 2013-09-15 15:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! 97-09, [ log ], lydia montgomery, nicolette rousseau |
WHO: Lettie Rousseau and Lydia Montgomery
WHEN: 15 September, 1997
WHERE: H6 Girls Dorm
SUMMARY: Lettie asks for help on the Muggle Studies assignment.
RATING: PG
STATUS: Complete log.
Lettie was bored. She was sitting on her bed in her dorm, and she was bored. Well, really she was trying to finally do the journal Muggle Studies assignment, and she didn’t want to. Thus, her response was to flop dramatically on her bed and exclaim loudly that she was bored. It was essentially the same thing, right? Mostly it was a matter of not knowing what to say. Lettie didn’t know anything about Muggles. Her parents certainly didn’t teach her. Muggles were scary and gross and while Lettie was sure that they, as a group, make a tremendous number of mistakes all the time, she didn’t know what they were. Sure, she could just copy someone else’s post, but that would involve reading them. And, well, she hadn’t done much of that. “Lydiaaaa,” she said finally, drawing out the last syllable for maximum effectiveness. “What sorts of mistakes do Muggles make?” Lydia knew she should be doing homework -- she had a few things to complete which she really did need to get done, if she was going to be distracted with healing lessons, and on top of normal homework she’d purposely been putting off the Muggle Studies assignment, pushing it in the hopes that inspiration would fall into her lap -- but honestly she couldn’t be bothered. She’d glanced at her journal when she’d come into the dorm room, petting it lightly. It was still clingy and didn’t particularly like it when Lydia left the journal in the dorm rather than take it to class, but she flat out refused to do that. The journal had made a purring, content sound and Lydia, thinking her job was done for the day, had curled up in bed, reading one of the books from a pile on the floor. Honestly, her attention was only partly with the book in front of her and she had to struggle not to let her mind wander. This lack of investment in the novel meant her head snapped up when Lettie said her name, the ‘a’ sound echoing through the dorm room. The question that followed was a little unexpected and not something Lydia really knew how to answer off the top of her head. Licking her lips, she slowly closed the book over on her finger, to mark her place. She sat up, crossing her legs and shrugged. “I suppose they make the normal kind of mistakes. Don’t bring enough money to the shops, wash something red with your whites and turn them all pink. I don’t know.” Lydia realised it wasn’t exactly helpful but she also didn’t really want to start reeling off everything that muggles had ever done wrong. It still made her a little uncomfortable. Lettie canted her head to the side, considering that for a moment. That was probably true, but she was pretty sure the assignment was asking for something more than that. She didn’t really care about Muggle Studies but the Carrows seemed a little scary. She’d just assume do a good job. “I don’t think I’ve ever made either of those mistakes,” she said first. Setting her journal down on the bed, she turned so that she was facing Lydia’s direction. “I think we’re supposed to talk about bigger mistakes than that though, aren’t we?” Lydia looked at Lettie for a second and then nodded. It was true: Professor Carrow was definitely looking for something bigger than a simple mistake with laundry. The suggestion had been facetious, anyway. Casting around for something to act as a bookmark, Lydia lifted a hair tie and shoved it into the book so she could toss it down on her bed. “Yeah, we probably are meant to,” she said, grudgingly. “I reckon they probably want us to go off about how awful muggles are and how everything they’ve ever done has been a mistake. Sully got full marks for saying muggles entire existence was a mistake, so you could always go down that road, if you’re feeling particularly flippant.” “Well I don’t know if I think they’re entire existence is a mistake, but they do seem really troublesome, don’t you think? I mean, that’s basically what I’ve gotten out of class so far.” Not that Lettie had been paying a world of attention, but that seemed to be the main theme in it all. “So what are some big mistakes?” Lydia had always had problems with keeping her face neutral and she could feel her eyebrows raising, mouth twisting downwards into a frown. She narrowed her eyes and said, voice carefully bland even if her expression wasn’t, “I don’t think muggles are any more troublesome than wizards are, actually. They just have different ways.” She wanted to not respond further, but Lettie had asked her a question and it was related to homework. Lydia had never actually been that good and ignoring people asking for help with homework. Lifting a hand to tug awkwardly at the end of her braid, Lydia thought for a second. “The wars -- World War One and Two. Maybe how one led to the other. That was a big mistake. There’s problem a hundred books about it, too. Or you can talk about any of their wars. Unless you want to be original.” “I don’t really care much about being original. I just figure I ought to get the assignment done,” Lettie replied easily, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed the frown on her roommate’s face. She didn’t really understand why, though. They were just talking about homework. “Talking about the wars is good enough, I’m sure. I don’t know why we’re bothering to learn about Muggles anyway. It’s not the least bit worth my time.” Lydia blinked rapidly a few times and then her frown deepened, forehead creasing in consternation. “Why is it not worth your time?” she asked, quickly. She lifted a hand to the side of her face, pressing her fingers against her jaw and then rubbed her hand behind her ear, a habit she’d developed whenever she felt like running off at the mouth and had to restrain herself. “Do you have something against muggles?” “You’re mad,” Lettie said, considering Lydia for a moment. She really wasn’t trying to make her mad. As much as she knew she often said things that irritated people sometimes, she liked Lydia quite a bit. She didn’t actually want to anger her. “I just don’t really care. It’s not that I have something against Muggles, I just don’t think they’re important to my life, and I don’t see why we’re studying them.” “I’m not mad,” Lydia responded, instantly, nearly talking over the top of Lettie’s sentence. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from talking anymore and then she realised what a stupid thing to say it was. It was rather obvious she wasn’t exactly ecstatic, so she sighed and shrugged. “I’m a little annoyed. I don’t want to condemn the bloody muggles for being muggles that’s it.” Although Lydia suspected -- or, well, knew -- she had different reasons than Lettie to think studying muggles right now was stupid, she still nodded a little, to show she at least partly agreed. “This class is stupid and everyone having to take this class is stupid.” “Well that much I certainly agree with. I wish I didn’t have to take it.” In part because it was actually scary. The things they were hearing about Muggles already was really disconcerting and the year had barely started. She wondered if she’d have nightmares about them by the end of the year. “Well, if not condemning them, then what’s so good about them?” “You and me both,” Lydia muttered. She shifted on the bed a little, glancing over at her own journal. Talking about the assignment kept reminding her that she’d yet to do it and she really didn’t want to, but needs must. She frowned again, vaguely aware that it was an expression which essentially hadn’t left her face for the past while. The frown changed when Lettie spoke again and Lydia flicked her gaze towards her. What was good about muggles. Lydia wanted to lift a hand and massage her temples, pinch her nose, do something to show that she was tired and thought this conversation was a headache but didn’t. She supposed she’d have similar conversations during the year, which was an annoying reality to comprehend. “The point is that there’s nothing wrong with muggles. They’re just like us, without magic to help them on their way and with other problems instead of worrying about peoples blood status. They’re not an entirely alien species. They’re just…people.” “If they were just people why would Professor Carrow be teaching us about them? If they were just people, why would we need an entire class devoted to them?” Lettie wasn’t asking to be difficult or accusing. She actually had no idea, because it seemed to her that a class wouldn’t be necessary if they were just the same as muggles, with magic being the only difference. Lydia stared at Lettie and then bit down on her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth. She wasn’t an idiot and she knew full well that she was going to be friends with people who didn’t think much of muggles, but it was still unpleasant to recognise the reality. Not that Lettie was being horrid about them, or anything -- it was just abundantly clear that she didn’t care and didn’t think there was anything necessarily wrong with the muggle studies course, apart from the fact she didn’t want to be taking it. “For propaganda purposes. To make more people hate them, so whatever the heck is happening over at the Ministry won’t startle or surprise as many people, so there won’t be as many objections. That sort of thing.” “So you don’t believe what the Ministry is saying, then.” It was said matter of factly, more of a statement than a question, and Lettie almost continued to say that was stupid. But she stopped herself at the last moment, mostly because she wasn’t really in the mood. At least not at the moment. Instead she just shrugged, frowning slightly before throwing her journal onto her bed and standing up. “I think I’m going to just do this later. I feel like I’ve made you mad, and I don’t really want to fight about it. So I’m going down to the Common Room. Enjoy your book!” With that Lettie headed out, not giving Lydia a chance to respond. She figured this probably wasn’t the last time this year that they’d have this conversation. |