Only The Beginning

You Are Not Alone.

Olive had spent a significant amount of time running errands and doing favors for just about anyone who asked over the next two days. If you questioned her, she would say that she was just trying to fill the time, but in truth, she believed it was the only way to be loved. Although feelings of love and approval were very insincere in the orphanage, Olive knew no better, she held onto every sliver of a chance that her need for human connection would be reciprocated.

That was how she found herself in this current predicament, trying to gather all of Zenobia's gobstones. She had retrieved 5, they were decently easy enough to find, but this last one was situated on a very tall bookcase in the back of the library. She carefully stacked tome after tome in hopes that she may just be tall enough to reach it if she stood on the pile she had just created, she willed her body to stretch further as her hand grazed the marble ball.

"You know, Madame Scribner would give you detention for standing on her books." Startled by the voice, she came tumbling down, books along with her.

Sebastian Sallow stood behind her arms crossed with messy hair and a glittering smile, although from her view he was upside down. "What are you even doing?"

She didn't even bother getting up, she pointed to the gobstone that mocked her from her place on the ground "That's Zenobia's last gobstone, I told her I would help her get them back."

Sebastian stared at her for a moment before pulling his wand out of his pocket "Accio gobstone" the round object went sailing into his open hand.

Olive groaned with frustration "Why didn't I think of that." Sebastians hand was thrust into her eyesight, offering to help her up.

"Can't help it I suppose, you're still so used to doing things the muggle way." He handed the gobstone to her.

This brought a thought to her mind, the word that had been swirling in her brain since she had first heard it two days ago, "Seb, could I ask you a question?"

"Always."

"What is a mudblood?" It felt wrong coming out of her mouth, Sebastian scrunched his eyebrows at her question.

"Did someone call you that?" he asked harshly.

"N-no, I just read it in some history text. I remembered you said Ominis' family were obsessed with blood status, and I thought you may know, that's all." Olive rubbed her arm trying to feign her innocence, the boy in front of her inhaled deeply.

"The term is used by blood purists. It's a disgusting name for those who have muggle ancestry, it means what it sounds like, dirty blood. They believe those who come from muggle families to be less than, that they are undeserving of magic." Her stomach turned a bit. Olive never knew her family. She supposed one wouldn't be wrong to assume she came from muggle parents, considering she thought she was one for the first fifteen years of her life.

"I see, thanks for the information... I should really get these back to Zenobia, I'll see you later?" She hurriedly restacked the fallen over books and moved to exit the library. Sebastian grabbed her arm as she started past him.

"If someone calls you that, I want you to tell me."

"Right, of course." Olive smiled reassuringly at her friend and continued on her way.

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After Olive had delivered Zenobia's gobstones back to her, the girl insisted on playing a round which Olive immediately regretted. She was not as skilled as she thought as the blasted marble shot its smelly liquid at her which she narrowly avoided, only a small amount making it onto her robe. Olive contemplated stealing them back and hiding them again, but rather decided to pull out of the game early.