Anxiousness wasn't an unfamiliar emotion to Joséphine.
With a mother like hers she was constantly on edge.
But from a young age she had learnt, as well as from etiquette classes at Beauxbatons, to mask that anxiousness and play it off as confidence.
It's exactly what she was prepping herself to do as she paced in front of the 'Great hall' and waited for a Professor McGonagall to retrieve her for some sort of sorting.
Lily had told her that she would be seated infront of the whole school and sorted by a magical hat who could see into the depths of her mind and ultimately determine what house she would best be suited to and thrive the most in.
It was an incredibly daunting thought.
It wasn't just the fact that she would be infront of a large sum of people - which made Joséphine sweat at just the thought. Or the fact that it was basically her judgement day infront of the whole school, she was the newbie who was transferring in her last year for goodness sake, how can they not judge her.
It was the fact that someone -something - would be inside of her head.
She had been vigorously trained in the art of legilimency from a young age, just another thing her mother could brag her 'perfect' daughter had mastered.
She had worked way to hard to keep people out of her mind, her only safe place in what she considered to be a crumbling world.
No one should be allowed in her mind, it was a dark enough place as it is. She would be considered loony of it were to be analysed.
"Ahem." A voice broke her out of her thoughts, spinning around she took in the sight of a medium height woman with greying hair and a pointed nose.
"Are you miss Joséphine Seignar?" Her voice was stiff and too the point.
Her stance reminded Joséphine of that of her mothers; it was the stance of someone who didn't take crap from anyone.
"Uh-yeah, that's me. I'm her." Joséphine stumbled over her words when she realised she had been silent too long.
"Follow me," without waiting for a reply the woman swiftly turned with a flick of her coat and waved her hands, only for the double doors to open at her command.
All signs of nervousness disappeared when Joséphine took in the sight that was the 'great hall'. With floating candles and an enchanted ceiling, Joséphine could definitely say that she was mesmerised.
"Come along dear you must be sorted," McGonagall spoke with a hint of a smile playing on her lips, she could never get over her amusement whenever a child first saw the great hall.
The looks on their faces were that of complete awe and speechlessness.
Squaring her shoulders and raising her head high, to walk with false confidence, an act that had practically been ingrained in her mind since the day she could walk. Joséphine glided towards the chair at the front of the room.
'Who is she?'
'She's so pretty,'
'Heard she's from Beauxbatons, she's probably just some common French whore.'
'Look at her she's practically floating!'
'I wish I could walk like that,'
Where just some of the whispers that Joséphine could her as she made her way towards McGonagall's figure. It wasn't a surprise since it seemed like English people were more...vocal than what Joséphine was use to.
It also wasn't her fault that the day she stepped foot in Beauxbatons she had been taught to walk with elegance and grace, to command attention with a display of confidence and a swish of your hips.
It was a nasty habit that Joséphine feared she would never be able to get rid of.
Finally making her way to the seat and sitting down, Joséphine barely got a glimpse of the eager faces of the students in the great hall before her vision was clouded by darkness.
Well hello dear. A voice cause Joséphine to jump in fright, her action emitting laughs from the crowd.
Hmmm a Seignar at Hogwarts? Why I would never have guessed your family would ever step foot out of France.
'You and me both magic hat.' But extenuating circumstances find you here. Well definitely not Slytherin, you have ambition but your heart is too pure.
Not Hufflepuff, you're to fierce, to stubborn to fit in there.
'Uh thanks?' Joséphine thought. It's between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. You're as equally loyal as you are brave. A trait that would do well in Gryffindor. But you're smarts outweigh that all... All because of your mother I see?
Joséphine gripped the edge of the stool, reminding herself to keep access to her mind open and not to block the hat out.
First in your year in every subject, you excelled in non verbal spells and gymnastics, captain of the quidditch cheering squad.. 'It was true,' Joséphine pondered. Beauxbatons although most common believed was an all-girl school was in fact not.
It was mixed but that didn't mean all boys and girls got to do things together, boys were allowed to play quidditch whereas girls had to stick to things like gardening or school musicals. The blatant sexism that girls couldn't handle such a rough sport annoyed Joséphine to no end but it was like she could do anything about it.
She was the perfect student for a reason.
Instead of fighting she had settled for cheering on the -in her opinion- absolutely useless boys playing. It was a something she extremely regretted.
You were a shoe in for Prime Lady had you'd stayed at the institute, but ahh- you moved for an engagement. Yes,the Seignar and Potter family will be entangled. That is a very smart choice. Will add me with my decision for sure. Joséphine had had enough of the silly hat rambling in her head. She had never been in such an odd predicament as the one now.
'Do you mind speeding it up?' Joséphine thought, eager to sit down and get rid of the feeling of all the peoples eyes on her.
Yes, it's very clear now. You're a GRYFFINDOR! The hats declaration was met with a demeaning applause from the table on the furthest right side of the room and an audible sigh of relief from Joséphine as she took of the hat and smiled at the professor.
"Congratulations miss Seignar, Gryffindor welcomes you." Professor McGonagall gave her a tight lipped smile before waving her wand, the Gryffindor colours and crest appearing on the previous black robes.
"Merci professeur," Joséphine nodded as she walked straight to Lily's smiling form.
"Congratulations Josie!" Lily beamed as she pulled the brunette into a tight hug.
"Merci Lily," Joséphine smiled back as she accepted a hug from Alice.
"I knew there was something I liked about you from the start," Marlene threw her a sultry wink as the all sat down and prepared for the dinner.
"I see you've snagged up Gryffindors newest prize," A masculine sounded from Joséphines left.
Turning her head she was met with the most peculiar eyes she had ever met. They were a dull grey that on anyone else would appear steely and devoid but on the lean boy they were filled with mischief and mirth. He had inky dark hair that fell to his shoulders in perfectly styled waves and a smile that Joséphine was sure had broken plenty of hearts.
"How's it feel to be in the best house?" The boy continued, looking Joséphine up and down with a look that could only be described as lust.
"Great, I get to be with Lily, Alice and Marlene. Although I feel I would have been better suited in Ravenclaw."
"What makes you say that? Gryffindor not up to your standards?" The question was different to his last ones, more cold and made Joséphine feel as if she had said the wrong thing.
"No it's just, I think I look better in blue opposed to yellow and red." Joséphine quickly covered, causing the others to laugh.
"I'm sure you'd look good in anything, or nothing. Whichever you prefer." The boy replied with a smirk, Marlene letting out a snort while Alice giggled and Lily rolled her eyes.
Joséphine didn't know how to answer, she had been hit in before just not in a quite so brash way. Luckily she was saved by another voice chiming in.
"Pad foot what poor soul are you hitting on now?" A voice from beside "pad foot" joked as he leaned around to get a better look.
Joséphine was mildly shocked to see James Potter staring back at her with his wide brown eyes and glasses askew. She could briefly recall him telling her he belonged to the Gryffindor house, but she didn't expect to interact with him very much. He had made his distaste for her very clear and quite frankly Joséphine didn't appreciate his attitude so wasn't very bothered by the fact.
"Joséphine this is the annoying J-" Lily started to introduce, only for Joséphine to cut her off.
"James Potter, oh we know each other already."
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