Flourish and Blotts//George Weasley

4 ~ Return to Beauxbatons

Aurella shuffled slightly, her trunk resting on the ground next to her. It was sunny and light stretched across the concrete of the tiny station. She was inside the Ministry of Magical Affairs, waiting for the carriage to arrive to take all of the Parisian students to Beauxbatons. After the Quidditch World Cup, she had spent most of her time helping her father run Flourish and Blotts as business picked up. Now she was back in Paris just in time to go back to school.

Aurella glanced at her mom. She was dressed in muggle clothing-- a neat pair of slacks and a green turtleneck, which provided a nice contrast to her dark hair and eyes. 

"You'll be good, won't you?" Her mother asked. She had also gone to Beauxbatons and spoke French with a lilting tone. She was fussing with Aurella's uniform jacket.

The carriage from Paris was one of the fastest rides, and as a result, Aurella and most of the other students on the stone platform were dressed in their uniforms. There were a few variations to the uniform-- depending on the weather, and scenario (casual, day, or evening/dress). Aurella had chosen to wear the day uniform-- a neat matching powdery blue skirt (though pants were an option, they were typically too warm) and button down. They were both made of silk, which was both gentle on the skin, but also provided ventilation in the warm climate. Her slightly darker suit jacket was still unbuttoned, the gleaming gold embroidered logo on her right breast pocket. The younger kids were permitted to wear black trainers, but as they got older, they were expected to don black dress shoes with all their uniforms. 

The rest of her uniforms were shoved inside her tall trunk, along with all the school supplies she would need. She'd have to change into the dress uniform before dinner and the welcoming ceremony, but would have time after unpacking. 

"Yes, Mom," She responded, letting her mother smooth her hair. It was still reacting to the humidity in London and was fluffier than usual. Her mother sighed, smoothing a brown flyaway and stepped back, hands on her cheeks. 

"Ah," Monique hummed, eying her carefully and smiling. "You're going to do so well."

Aurella smiled and let her mom hug her as the Beauxbatons carriage rushed in. The Abraxans huffed as they landed, hooves stamping on the concrete. A door that opened to a storage space underneath the carriage popped open, and Aurella stepped forward, carrying her trunk. 

She set it down momentarily to aid a first or second-year student in shoving their trunk inside and then moved hers in so it was secure. Patting her pocket to make sure her wand was secure, she walked back across the platform to hug her mom again. 

"Okay, now go before I cry," Monique spoke, giving her a gentle shove toward the carriage. 

Aurella laughed as she joined the neat cue to board the carriage. She waved to her mom as she boarded, before stepping inside.

The inside was much larger than the outside, enchanted to feel like a comfortable study room. There were several round tables with padded chairs around them-- how they stayed stationary while flying, she didn't know. Aurella took a seat at one of the farther ones near a window and glanced around. The walls were a pale blue floral wallpaper and the floor was tiled. Several bookshelves lined one wall, filled with almost every magical book imaginable. Nearby was a self-serve drink and snack counter, filling the carriage with the smell of coffee. It was a comfortable familiarity.

Aurella was joined at her table by the same nervous young student whom she had helped with his trunk, and a few other students that she recognized by appearance but not by name; they were all in younger years. 

The door clicked shut and the abraxans whinnied, before the carriage began to move forward. They gained momentum quickly, and the young boy grabbed the edge of the table, his eyes wide. Quickly they were skyborne and the invisibility clicked on.