Muggle Games and Black Cats

Liz sighed, bag of games beside her on the couch and PSP in hands, her tiny black cat Hecate meowing and strutting around the room. She had been the first to the common room and was just waiting for the others in her house to catch up. Her house was never boring when other people were around; the problem was waiting for them to get there. While she was waiting, though, this could always be a good time to catch up on her gaming. Her face darkened, though, as the regular Kingdom Hearts music refused to play and the Birth By Sleep menu wouldn't come up. In fact, the thing wasn't working at all. She wondered if the battery was dead.

Liz loved video games. It was one of the few things that she could really get lost in, and when she did, she was completely oblivious to the world. So, after toying with it for a while, whenever someone sat beside her, she jumped and the electronic device skidded across the floor, the carefully organized contents of her bag spilling across the floor. She bent down and, cursing, began to pick everything up and putting it back. It was a painstaking process, but after she finished, she picked up her PSP and turned to the person, beaming. "Hello," she said pleasantly, putting the game console in it's place. "How are you?"

Terry entered the Common Room, cheeks red from her excursion down in Hogsmeade. Attracting quite a few looks because of her rather eccentric outfit, she sat down next to a girl playing with a strange contraption.

"Vou know that von't vork here." Terry said, looking at the thingy. "And I'm fine. I advise not going outside at the moment; it's freezing out." She was still shivering. Butterbeer had helped, but not much when she had gone back inside.

"How are vou?" she asked, "I'm Terry."

She frowned at the new girl. Her cheeks were red and she looked cold; when she spoke, her voice had a foreign accent about it. She almost asked where it was from, but decided that she was probably asked that a lot and let it go. "Why not?" she pouted, looking at it longingly. She had forgotten all of her games the year before and had been looking forward to playing them this year. She was not giving them up without a fight, dangit!

"I can believe that," she agreed, looking through the window at the powerful winds. She was sent to a random flashback at the Leaky Cauldron. "The weather's been a little strange lately, hasn't it?"

"I'm absolutely ecstatic, thanks," she replied positively, shooing her cat away from the log it was eying. "I'm Liz."

"Elektrizity does not vork in the Magical Vorld. Magical excess or something of the sort." Terry shrugged. "Basic knowledge."

"Not really, considering it's almost vinter and Britain. We alvays get bad veather." Terry joked. It was true; the majority of the summer was spent cooped up inside while it rained.

"Vhat vear are vou in?" Terry asked curiously, shrugging off her cape and covering herself with a blanket.

"What?!" It was at that moment she decided that her soul was utterly destroyed. "Are you kidding me? I've been waiting to play these all year!" She scowled at her games, and then her wand, the fireplace, the books the air--any magical objects, really. Then she took a deep breath...and another...and another. When she had finally gotten a hold of herself, she spoke again. "Sorry," she apologized, staring mournfully at the bag. "I just like video games...a lot."

Rather than point out more of the obvious, she replied to her. "That certainly helps," she agreed with a laugh. "But last year it got cold a lot later than this, so I'm wondering what the cause is...maybe global warming."

"I'm in second year," she replied with a puzzled face; what else would she be? Scooting close to the fire, she replied, "What about you? I think I saw you last year..."

"It's fine." Terry shrugged. Plenty of others had reacted worse than her. "Vhat are video games anyvays?" Terry knew they were some type of Muggle entertainment, since Pierre played them sometimes at the KK, but was really fuzzy on the details.

"Maybe." Terry agreed. Again, fuzzy on the details about 'global warming'.

"I'm a third vear. I'm not sure vhy, but I just am...." Terry shrugged. "They had me skip vears so I vas a firstie last vear."

"Great!" She gave a weary grin, but it was replaced with a thoughtful face at her question. "Well, it's...they're..." Liz rarely struggled for words, but this was one of the times where she did. Fantastic. Terry must think so highly of her. "Video games are a type of muggle entertainment. They're rather like wizarding pictures"--here, she pointed to a poster with a dragon zooming around threateningly--"but you interact with the things. They differ depending on what game they are and who created them--there are some really great ones like Sims and Kingdom Hearts, really gory ones like Halo, and some super tame ones like Cooking Mama." She shuddered at the last game; she absolutely despised all of the cooking mama games. "There's something for everyone, and if you can't find something you like at one place, you just have another store."

She was rather pleased with her description altogether, and cracked a small smile at her fellow Ravenclaw's unsure answer. "Do you know what global warming is?" she mused, wondering how anyone could not know.

"Wow." She blinked. "You must be really smart." Duh! she berated herself. She's a Ravenclaw!

"Oh." Terry said, eyes wide. "Do they have dragon games?" she questioned curiously. That would be awesome, if they did....

She eyed the poster. "I vonder if that's new..." she pondered to herself. It wasn't there last year, that's for sure. '

"I do! It's when the global community gets really, really, varm." Terry protested. It kinda sounded like Liz thought she was stupid.

Not my fault I don't like Muggles very much....

"Oh...thanks."