Todd silently sat beside Vincent, awkwardly reaching for his luggage to reopen it to the small owlet.

"Where'd you even get a thing like him?" William leaned forward so he could see into the luggage and spy at the small bird.

"Found him on my way here." Todd answered absently, presently focused on examining the creatures wings- which were only healed-up stubs at the moment, "It's why I was late for the train."

"And why you decided to jump onto it?" Valery chuckled in amusement.

"Brilliant idea that was." Vincent sniffed sarcastically.

"Well, the case has a charm on it, see, so he'd be fine and- yes, well yes, that's why I jumped onto the train." Todd nodded, wincing a bit when the owlet nipped at his finger with its beak, drawing a bit of blood. He hissed in pain and stuck the wounded finger in his mouth.

"You don't know where that beak's been!" William shuttered in disgust.

"Doesn't matter, it's already pierced the skin." Todd mumbled around his finger as he pulled it away, "He needs protein."

"Yeah?" Valery cocked her head, "Like what?"

"He means he needs meat, Val." William sat back, "Not my finger, thank you."

"Yes...he hasn't taken to the pellets much...they're supposed to be packed with nutrition but Rimshal isn't very fond of them." Todd frowned.

"Rimshal?" Vincent looked up from his book that he'd taken out,  On Wands and Weaponry.

"That- did you sneeze his name out?" William lifted his eyebrows.

"William, do be at least a little polite!" Valery rolled her eyes.

"What? You're saying you don't think that name's odd? No offense to...Rimshal, but really." William scoffed.

"You'll have to forgive William for his lack of courtesy and abundance of salt." Valery rolled her eyes.

"While I'm flattered of you calling me salty-"

"Why'd you name him Rimshal?" Vincent set his book on his lap, opting to look at the owl instead.

"Oh, um-" Todd looked down at Rimshal, "My cab driver I think was a bit sick and when I asked him to suggest a name-"

"I told you!" William nearly leapt out of his seat to point smugly at Valery.

"Oh dear me." Valery sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "He's named after a cab driver's sick sputtering?"

"Well, uh, yes." Todd nodded, flinching when he heard the sound of laughter beside him, glancing at Vincent who found this amusing. The boy's teeth were strikingly white, I'd have to brush my teeth for years for a smile like that.

"Well, it's unique." Vincent chuckled.

"Yeah!" Todd piped up happily before taking Rimshal into his palm.

The owlet pecked at his palm and Todd struggled not to close his palm on instinct to the pain.

"You've got a fair pain tolerance." William pointed out.

"I guess- it's more of a will not to...crush his brains and him with it." Todd placed the owlet back in his suitcase.

"Perhaps you should get him some protein other than your hand?" William suggested.

"The trolly might have something." William pointed out.

"That's true." Valery agreed, "But- doesn't it usually only sell treats?"

"She's- ...right." William grumbled.

"Hold on," Vincent reaches for a duffle bag of his and unzipped it, ruffling it around before withdrawing a packaged stick of meet.

"Blimey, of course you brought beef jerkey with you." William chuckled in amusement, "Always interested in what the muggles have to offer, this one." He nodded to Vincent.

Vincent peeled off the packaging and tore part of the meat off, turning to Todd and his owlet, "May I?"

Todd blinked in surprise before nodding, "'Long as you don't mind accidentally getting bit."

"Meh." Vincent shrugged before leaning towards Todd to reach the owlet, holding the bit of meat out for it.

"It's just a baby- can it really eat that?" Valery frowned.

"Actually, yes, they can start eating it at age-" Todd was cut off but a grunt of pain from Vincent as the owlet took the meat along with the tip of his finger.

"Oh dear- Rimshal! Don't bite the nice boy! He's given you food!" Todd sighed.

"Well, I'm glad you think I'm nice then." Vincent waved his bitten finger a bit in the air before pressing it to his black pant leg.

"Oh, I'm sure Rimshal will come around." Todd sighed.

The small room seemed to grow awkwardly quiet.

Todd glanced up to see the two across from him avoiding eye contact, though little seemed to have changed with Vincent's bland expression, simply looking out the window a bit.

"Right...so...did you three know each other before this?" Todd questioned.

"Yep!" Valery nodded.

"Same neighborhood- though Val here went to an all girl's school, meanwhile Vincent and I at an all boy's school. We didn't really talk that much though, did we?" William referred to Vincent.

"Not much." Vincent continued to look out the window absently.

"He's not much of a talker in general, really." Valery commented.

"Boy is that true! Essentially a shadow he was, at school. Wasn't until we found out our families knew each other that we actually started hanging out. Not much to our parents' delight though really considering our parents didn't exactly know each other on good terms. But, they'd never mentioned the other so there wasn't bad blood for us, after mum and dad got past the whole death-"

"I didn't have an abundance of friends," Vincent summarized, "So William and I bonded over our own misfortunes."

"Misfortunes?" Todd frowned.

"Not misfortunes," William glared at Vincent.

"Call then what society calls 'em, which is misfortunes." Vincent shrugged.

"Stop being so emotionally disgruntled and try to be happy for a minute?" William rolled his eyes.

"I am happy." Vincent scoffed.

"No, you're really not." Valery sided with William.

"I was happy when I fed the owlet." Vincent defended himself.

"Vincent, it bit you." William squinted.

"It didn't mean to." Todd chirped.

"Exactly." Vincent agreed.

Todd was happy to be sided with.

"I can talk about dull matters and still be happy." Vincent crossed his arms defensively.

"Yes but not when those matters are this personal." Valery shrugged.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, look, I'm smiling," Vincent forced one of his stunning smiles, "Happy?"

The others groaned.
Todd giggled.

Vincent looked at him curiously.

"What?" Vincent cocked an eyebrow.

Todd's face flushed red as he realized all eyes were on him, "What? Oh- um- no, nothing- your uh- the owlet just-"

"My what?" Vincent narrowed his eyes suspiciously but didn't seem particularly moody about anything.

"You've got a, uh, ..fun..smile is all." Todd wasn't exactly sure how to word this, but figured Vincent could use the confidence boost for whatever reason need be.

Vincent blinked in surprise, "Um, thanks?" He gave a half smile, this time genuine.

"Yeah, I'm happy with that." Valery nodded with a smirk, William shrugging with a nod in agreement.

There was a sort of pause before Todd decided to change the subject, "So, what house do you guys think you'll be sorted into?"

"Vincent there is a Ravenclaw for sure." William grinned.

Vincent shrugged at this, "What about yourself? You'd make a good Ravenclaw."

"'Course I would." William beamed.

"With that kind of ego, you sure Gryffindor isn't more your speed?" Valery snorted.

"Oh please, no." William scowled.

"What's wrong with Gryffindor?" Todd blinked.

"Too loud, too rambunctious-"

"You haven't even attended the school yet." Vincent pointed out.

"And neither have you, but we all know what house you're going to." William stuck his tongue out.

"What about you, Todd?" Valery turned her eyes to the curly blonde.

"Me?" He looked as if he was pondering this but truly knew from the moment he was born, so it seemed, "Hufflepuff."

"Yeah?" Valery smiled.

"He's got an owlet named Rimshal in his suitcase, Val! Of course he's going to be a Hufflepuff." William shook his head.

"Well, you never know!" Valery fought back.

This started a war of bickering between the two that Todd soon muted out.
He continued with this until he heard a new voice enter the muffled sound.

"They do this a lot- they fight like siblings, really- They've known each other since they were kids so, they practically are." Vincent was back to reading.

"We're still kids technically." Todd shrugged.

"When compared to those two, I'd say we look like mature adults." Vincent sniffed.

Todd giggled at this.

This caught Vincent's attention and he smiled slightly before closing his book, "What house do you think I'll be in?"

"Didn't they already say Ravenclaw?" Todd questioned.

"Yes, they did, what do you think?" Vincent inquired.

"Honestly?" Todd thought a moment, "Slytherin."

"Yeah?" Vincent looked a little surprised.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Todd quickly added when he saw Vincent's eyes narrow, "It's just...Ravenclaw have more energy?"

"That doesn't seem true- have you seen a Ravenclaw before?"

"Yes, and they do have energy, but its energy for success- not ambitious like Gryffindor but, energy to succeed in life. You...just don't have that energy about you- just because you like reading and you say a few smart things, it doesn't make you a Ravenclaw- not that you don't want to succeed!" He rambled, "Just that- you don't seem obsessed over it, is all."

"Huh, interesting. Okay, then, what makes me a Slytherin?" Vincent grinned, intrigued, setting his book to the side.

"Well...you've just got this tone...like, real controlling..." Todd bit his lip in thought, "And, I dunno', you just seem like a Slytherin- it's like how you guys all see me as Hufflepuff."

"I never said I did." Vincent corrected.

"Yes, well, do you think I'm getting into any other house except Hufflepuff?"

Vincent paused before chuckling, "Fair point." He pushed his glasses up on his forehead, "Well, we'll know soon enough- wanna' place bets on it?"

Todd thought about this before nodding with a grin, "Even though you know you'll win on your half."

"Alright, Hufflepuff." Vincent grinned.

Todd grinned in return, "Goodluck, Slytherin."

*****
////Props to Shrimpity for coming up with Rimshul's name when I asked for the strangest name for an owl
Rimshul just wants to eat his cares away to make up for his lack of wings. I love him. He just has little stubs where the wings were.
-Jay 💚💛