Not All Who Wonder Are Lost, but Some Are

[Alphonsine Maxine]

She was messy and scraggly looking. Dirty. And she had a monkey. And she was hungry. Most of the past weeks had been spent wondering London, looking for any hint of something magical - and not in the the sense of faries or something other nonsense but rather a person suddenly appearing or disappearing. A building morphing. A wand. And so far, her searches proved fruitless. The wizarding world was annoyingly well hidden for someone who had little magical knowledge.

But she had to keep searching. She had no where else to return to. She held no pointless hopes her father would take her back in so she had to find Ben. She didn't know where he lived beyond he was Enlish and lived with other wizards. When she had been dropped at the English shore, she had been able to hitch a ride with a farmer and his wife to London. They had been kind to help her when she could barely even speak the language.

She was near giving up when she spotted a figure slipping into a door that she hadn't noticed only moments before. "Pardon!" she called, hoping to fetch their attention before they disappeared before she could catch up to her first and only lead in the past few weeks.

  

[Guinevere Lukeson]

Guinevere had been going stir-crazy in her home ever since she had fallen in the garden. It was a hard decision for her to make of whether or not to go out at all. It was hard to convince her husband, who had recently come home after the full moon. But it was something she really needed. The fresh air would do her good, and she had pointed that out to him as well.

Now she was on an outing, her sister-in-law had insisted on joining. They were best friends, and had talked often. So morning tea and a conversation of the matter had led to her wanting to object to the outing as well. This was the pairs solution on the issue. Guinevere didn't mind. She liked the company. It would also help if she were to fall again. She did worry about that, and had been hesitant around stairs ever since.

They had been heading to the magical part of London to look around the shops, perhaps get some things to send to their children at Hogwarts. She knew that her best friend missed Bellerose. It was the same feeling that Guinevere felt last year with Jolie, as well as every year that was the first year of their children's education at Hogwarts.

Just as her sister-in-law went through the door, Guinevere looked over in surprise at someone calling to them. What was she to do? Was this woman magic? She hadn't seen any witnesses, they had been careful. But here this woman was, clearly looking at them. Perhaps she was magic, or perhaps they could convince her that this door had been here all along. If worse came to worse, they could contact the Ministry. "Yes, hello?" She said hesitantly.

@'Alphonsine Maxine'

(OOC- Guinevere does know French, so she would not have a problem understanding Alphonsine if she started speaking the language, but I don't know it, so the French will be italicized.)

  

[Alphonsine Maxine]

A smile lit up her face as she realized that her bids for attention had been successful and the speed up slightly to close the distance between herself and the older woman. "You are... wizard?" she questioned, pausing for a moment as she tried to recall if Ben had ever said the English equivalent of sorcière and failing. He either hadn't said it enough for her to remember or he'd never mentioned it at all. Male form of an English magic person it was.

What did she say to get her to help? How did she attempt to keep her here? Even if this woman didn't know Ben - this was the closest she had ever gotten. Her shot into his world. She pointed then, to the door behind the dark-haired English woman, her other hand tangled in her hair, yanking slightly in nerves. "Magic... land? In there?" Gosh, darn it English. Her thick accent didn't make her English easier to understand either. Having Ben teach her his language hadn't been her first priority those few weeks and she had learned more household terms than anything else that would be useful on the streets.

"Please help,"she ended up stating in French, her frustration getting the worst of her.

  

[Guinevere Lukeson]

Guinevere didn't know how to act, at first. The woman did have an accent, that much was clear. If she remembered correctly, it was a French accent. She had met some French people, but not too many. She hoped that her guess was right about that. Unsure if this woman was another witch looking for assistance, or a muggle that was on the hunt, she hesitated, looking to her sister-in-law again. Through her hesitation, she continuously reminded herself of the Ministry, and how they would help if she was wrong. So with that knowledge, she nodded. "The correct term is Witch, but yes." She replied.

She looked at the door that the girl was pointing to, then the girl. Door, girl, door, then girl once more. Land? She wouldn't really call it a land, just an extension. The accent, though understandable, was hard to do so. Guinevere had to listen carefully, and try to think carefully about what the girl was actually asking. With the accent, it was hard to understand her own language. After all, language and the accents that went with them, always seemed easier to understand when paired together, then with others.

Finally, help came with the change of language. Guinevere, as a lady of Upper Status, had learned several other languages throughout her life. It was what was expected of her, along with other things that she was expected to learn. "Help with what? What is it that you are looking for?" She asked kindly. Perhaps she really was a witch, with a difference of language that had gotten her to become lost in a country that she was unfamiliar with. After all, Guinevere was always one to be trusting and helpful when she could.

@'Alphonsine Maxine'

  

[Alphonsine Maxine]

Her face lit up as the woman replied in a slower version of her own language, one that meant she had learned it but it was nowhere near her primary language - but it was better than Ben spoke and if she could manage to talk to Ben in his broken French, then she could manage this. "Oh bless. You can speak French. I don't need to sound like more of an idiot," she breathed, before wondering if she had started to speak too fast and for simplicity sake, decided to slow down.

"See I've been looking for a way into the magical portion of England - and it very hard to do if you speak the wrong language. And I don't have a wand, but I am a witch, or so I've been told. It would explain a lot. But I'm looking for a way in so I can find someone who lives here, in England."

She looked towards the woman, wondering if she would require some sort of proof she couldn't offer. She didn't have a clue what she would do to prove she had magic. She couldn't control it. It wasn't like she even had a full name. Ben was all she could remember. 

With the end of her declaration, the monkey that had tucked itself away in her bag seemed to have determined now was the time to come out, and it perched on her shoulder, head cocked to the unknown woman like it was confused by why they had stopped.

  

[Guinevere Lukeson]

The glee from the woman made Guinevere smile. She did like making people happy. It was a trait of hers that her older sister didn't seem to care for. None the less, it was a trait that she had. Of course, she was not a perfect speaker of other languages, she could speak French to the point that he understood what the woman was saying. Though she was slow at speaking it, she understood the rushed statements of another. The main thing that she had to keep telling herself was to listen carefully, or she would miss something. With English, she could miss something and be fine, but other languages, it would be harder to catch up on what she had missed.

Realizing that she was right about her assumption had filled Guinevere with relief. The poor girl, must either be a muggleborn who had not been given proper training, or an orphan with the same situation of training. How lucky her sister-in-law was, to have gotten someone from Hogwarts that had come by and invited her to their school. It was something that she was grateful that the school did. Otherwise, she may have never known her best friend. Now that was a deeply sad thought, as Guinevere adored the woman who was her best friend, and has become her actual sister... in-law.

Still, she didn't feel that it was a must to ask the girl such personal questions. That would be far too rude. "Who is it you are looking for? Do you have a name to go by?" She asked kindly. Guinevere did hope that she could help, or at least start asking around to see if others did. Perhaps even going to the Ministry, if it was necessary. They could figure it out, she was sure.

She did notice a creature come out of the girl's bag, and her eyes widened as it turned out to be a monkey. How did a French girl get a monkey? Weren't they expensive? This girl didn't seem to be rich, from the way she dressed and her lack of Magical education, and that of foreign languages. It left Guinevere wondering if she knew the word monkey, as she did want to ask about it. Though, it was not a word that she often used as much as others, so to think of it in a different language was all the more difficult. Finally she settled for 'it', thinking it better to point at the creature, rather than to say the wrong word and offend. "Where did you get it?" She asked with curiosity.

  

[Alphonsine Maxine]

A name. A name of who she was looking for. "Ben," she supplied with an apologetic shrug. "All I know is I am looking for a man who goes by Ben. He never told me more than that, or if he did, I do not remember it." It was kind of embarrassing to be searching for a man whose last name she didn't even know. She didn't even know if Ben was his full first name. It likely wouldn't leave a good impression on her either. But now she knew the way in, that was more than she could say a few minutes ago. If she could get in without help was another story.

"The monkey? Oh, it is Ben's. He left him behind when I last saw him. He had to go home urgently. I need to return it." It was actually a convenient excuse, she supposed. French and English society was close enough she doubted they were a fan of unwed pregnancy.

  

[Guinevere Lukeson]

Guinevere listened as the woman talked. Well, that was a little strange. How well did this girl know a man that only gave a name? Was that even his name? Perhaps he wasn't good enough company to keep around? Though, that was none of Guinevere's business. "A good place to look would be the-" She stopped short. What was the word for Ministry? Oh, she was going to have to use English. How embarrassing. "Ministry. You know what that means, yes?" She asked. She hoped that the woman did, or at least was willing to follow her if not.

Realization flashed in her eyes. At least it answered her unspoken question. "That is very kind of you. I'm sure the little creature misses him terribly." She commented with a pleasant smile. To go to all of that trouble, to reunite a man and his pet, it felt like it was so kind. Now, Guinevere felt as though she had to help the girl all the more.

  

[Alphonsine Maxine]

Ministry was not a word she knew - maybe Ben had mentioned it, but it must not have seemed like a relative enough piece of information amidst all the kissing to stick in her brain. But an unremembered maybe wasn't enough to help her in the here and now. Still, while this woman was nothing but a stranger with a wand, at this point, she would have been willing to follow the woman - even more so when she had said it would be a good place to start.

"Thank you, miss. I think so too,"she stated with a smile, figuring the woman had assumed she only looked for the man because of his pet, which she wouldn't dispute as she would likely be a lot less willing to help her if she knew the truth. "I'm afraid I do not know this Ministry," Allie stated, stumbling over the new, strange English word. "What is it? Can you take me there?"

  

[Guinevere Lukeson]

The situation itself did seem a bit odd. Of course, Guinevere would certainly mention this to her friends. It was a bit of an adventure, for the older woman. Quite exciting, if she thought about it. Smiling at the little creature that was on the younger woman's shoulder, she couldn't help but wonder if the animal was friendly to strangers.

Looking at the woman once more, the smile did not once fade. "The Ministry is... the magical government of London. They may have records of who owns the monkey." She clarified, still slightly hesitant to address the magical world. Reminding herself that if this woman was indeed a muggle, the Ministry could help with that as well, she kept her smile real and calm.

One more look at the door, then the girl, and she decided that it was now or never. "I can take you there, yes." She said. Nodding to the door, she walked through. Turning back to watch the door, she waited for the girl to follow.

@'Demelza McGonagall' (Sorry for the wait.)