megan jones
Megan Gwendolyn Jones
Application: Trio Era, Seventh Year, Canonical
Game written for: ![[info]](https://www.scribbld.com/img/community.gif)
quivive
Eras available in: Trio, Postwarts
Status: Complete
Journals: ![[info]](https://www.scribbld.com/img/userinfo.gif)
cambriaevermore @ gj.com; welsh.
BASICS
Full Name: Megan Gwendolyn Jones
Age/Birthdate: Seventeen, June 12 (Gemini)
Year/House: Hufflepuff, Seventh
Blood Status: Halfblood
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Location: St. Asaph, Denbighshire, Wales
Affiliation: Wales; sure it might sound a little odd, but in Megan's head it all makes sense. Fiercely proud of her roots, she's inherited a tinge of her father's bitterness toward the "Invading English", as they're known in the Jones family. While she largely had to rid herself of this bias upon entering Hogwarts, it's apparent in the teasing jokes she makes to her friends. But until an attack in Cardiff this summer screamed otherwise, Megan wasn't about to enter the forray. However, with blood now drying on her doorstep, she's ready to fight tooth and nail against Lord Voldemort's regime - even if she'd rather hide away.
APPEARANCE
Though Megan Jones is certainly not ravishing, and probably would look rather plain next to one of the Patil sisters, her good looks can be summed up in one word: fresh. From her skin to her hair, even the way she chooses to fashion herself, there is nothing overly baked or tweezed about Megan. She always has something of a glow about her, her smooth features generally bright and lacking any real polish. Undoubtedly, her prized feature would be her skin. Blessed with a beautiful, warm chocolate tone and a lack of any visible bumps or discolouration, it is probably the first thing one notices when the take a glance. Her eyes are similarly toned, a warm honey-brown colour that compliment and are off-setted by the darkness of her hair. Her face is warm and open, round, apple-like cheeks and almond shape eyes giving her both the expression of honesty and natural curiosity. A pink tinge tends to radiate off her when she's focused on something, be it in anger or determination, but you can almost always certainly tell what Megan is thinking or feeling by the arrangment of features on her face.
Despite having a reputation as something of a tomboy growing up, Megan Jones is very much a girl. As she's grown up, she's always struggled a little bit with her weight and tends to carry it in her stomach, bum and chest most obviously. Though she bemoans it at times, and is somewhat bothered that it only adds to the perception of the dimply and rotund Hufflepuff, she actually isn't terribly bothered by her curves. She likes to eat, but she maintains a healthy figure due to her involvement in Quidditch and the two tend to balance each other out. Though her bust can sometimes get in the way, in Megan's humble opinion, she's not completely oblivious to the attention it sometimes gives her - attention which she's not completely affronted by. With an average height, standing at a good 5'5 even, what she lacks in height she makes up for in spirit, as is noticable in the way she carries herself: always with pride. Notably, Megan's a fan of colour. She dresses in bright shades, though she usually only sticks to one an outfit, and is rarely seen in dull greys, blacks, whites or browns. This generally adds to her overall impression as someone who is bright and fresh, and makes up for the days when she finds herself in something of a sour mood!
Desired PB: Jessica Lucas
PERSONALITY
There's no doubting that Megan Jones is a grab-bag assortment of various house traits; if you look hard enough, you can find a dash of Gryffindor bravado, some Ravenclaw smarts for good measure, and even a hint of Slytherin's ambition. But the fact remains that, in every sense of the word, Megan is a true Hufflepuff. Loyalty and hard work both show fiercely in the overall makeup of Megan's personality, and none more clearly than in that of her pride. Megan is fierce when it comes to those things she puts her loyalty into, no matter what it is: being Welsh, black, a Hufflepuff, it doesn't matter! In everything she does and in everything she belongs to, Megan takes care to commit to and be proud of her colours. Keeping in this vein, Megan is the Ultimate Fan. She isn't the sort to sit about passively and quietly will her team to win. Instead, she paints herself from head to toe in the team's colours and cheers until her voice is hoarse, or gone completely. There's never any doubting which side of the commonroom, pitch or war Megan's on. She wears her beliefs as loudly as she does proudly, which can sometimes be a little dangerous. Megan might see an exchange as a healthy debate - her opponent might feel otherwise. But ultimately, Megan is a gracious loser and a good sport. It is those saving graces that generally keeps her from being pumelled.
It seems that Megan's personality is a lot like a high school football match, for if she's Hufflepuff's biggest fan, she's also it's most dedicated and spunky cheerleader. Yes, Megan is very much about being the person to cheer her friends on, even if it's not in the normal, typical cheer and pep manner. Having always been very careful in the selection of her friends (she'd prefer a small, tight circle to a large group of acquaintances) nothing bothers her more than to see one of them getting down on themselves. Ironic, as Megan herself could ease up a little. But Megan's a doer, and so she'll encourage you in the most pro-active way possible. You're feeling crummy about your weight? That's silly, you're gorgeous! But okay, she'll make a plan. You're both going to run tomorrow at six a.m. and Megan's kicking your arse into shape! There's no point in complaining. When Megan's decided something's going to happen, it'll happen. She's not afraid to be a little bit hard on her friends if it means they'll be happier in the end. Ask for an honest opinion and you'll get one, but it will never, ever come off as mean, blunt or intentionally hurtful - even if it stings a bit at first.
Though she may not be a Ravenclaw, Megan is a serious student and seriously hard-working. Unfortunately, her attitude to school can sometimes manifest itself in crippling ways, including a tendancy to be extremely hard on herself. Self-critical, Megan gets frustrated with herself quickly and easily, but only because she's been brought up to expect a lot from herself. Though she's not a perfectionist exactly, she's been raised with the mantra that you can always push yourself a little bit hard - why aim for a 90% when 100% is within reach? Handing half-assed work in is simply not an option, nor is bringing only 70% of her game to Quidditch practice. For this reason, Megan tends to set a lot of very concrete and manageable goals for herself in order to accomplish things. In this way, she manages to turn something as simple as turning in a paper into a kind of competitive game with herself.
Unshockingly, Megan is also therefore extremely organized. She colour co-ordinates all of her notes and her books can always be found sorted alphabetically by title. She considered changing this to author once, but considering she isn't a bibliophile, it made no sense - she only really cares about the title and how quickly she can grab something. Her closet is similarly arranged in a simple fashion, sorted first by item (pants, t-shirts, tank-tops) and then by colour, giving the overall impression of a rainbow when you open her doors. Megan enjoys leving post-it note reminders to herself and keeps a daily agenda so she always knows what's coming; it is unsurprising, then, that she's meticulously punctual. If you were to walk into her dorm at any given moment, rest assured you would find Megan's side of the room very, very clean. She isn't a germophobe and it isn't that she enjoys cleaning, she simply can't function in chaos. An unmade bed will distract her to the point of madness, and as she prefers working in her own space to the library if she can help it, it only makes sense that things remain organized.
With all this in mind, some might wonder why Megan was never made a Prefect. Considering the calm edge she has on her friend Hannah, it might be a touch confusing to tell what it is that kept her from ever attaining the position. The answer is simple: for a Hufflepuff, Megan seriously lacks patience. Teaching people concepts drives her batty, and she isn't particularly fond of the younger students. Questions that might seem perfectly reasonable seem self-explanatory and obvious to Megan. If there's one thing she hates, it's people who can't do things for themselves. In essence, she'd make a terrible Professor. There's also the fact that Megan isn't very uptight about rules and the like. That might seem a bit of a contradiction, but there's an old saying: work hard, play hard. And Megan is an avid subscriber. Not only does she find the task of enforcing rules more than a little daunting and menial, she likes to let her hair down like the best of them. How does Megan do that? Like any teenage girl! She likes dancing, loud music, flirting, partying - she just ensures that she's doing all of this with some sense of responsibility. Megan would rarely be the sort you find vomiting in the toilets, but happily buzzed and dancing with friends? Why not!
Megan's a dedicated student, but she's far from bookish, and even farther from the brainy Hermione Granger type. It takes a lot of will power for her to slug her way through the practical aspects of her magical education, but she does so anyway. If being Welsh has taught her anything, it's perserverence, perserverence, perserverence. Arts and crafty, with a do-it-yourself mentality, Megan Jones is ready to face any challenge you throw at her. Sure she'd like a little warning so she might schedule it into her day planner, but beggars can't be choosers - and neither can the Welsh.
FACTS AND FICTIONS
Three Things Everyone Knows About Your Character:
1) Megan is WESLH. She isn't just Welsh, she's the WELSHIEST OF WELSH, and any slight against her country is a slight against her. The English are not a superior race and no, she will never, ever admit that she and her fellow countrymen were defeated.
2) Hannah Abbott is the yin to her yang, the Bert to her Ernie, the Harry to her Potter. Um. The two enjoy joking about their status as Most Honourable Ebony and Ivory of Hogwarts (they feel Seamus and Dean barely even count as competition) and spend their days colour-coordinating notes together. Though Hannah and Megan are alike in many respects, the calm which the latter exhibits tends to keep Hannah grounded.
3) Megan is related to Gwenog Jones! And as such, she will always be Gwenog Jones' niece, and never really be plain old Megan Jones. On the Quidditch pitch, in the halls, sometimes even in the classroom. It's lucky she's so close to her aunt, or she'd considering offing her.
Two Things Close Friends Would Know About Your Character:
1) While Megan is extremely focused and driven, she also knows the value of having a really good hobby. In order to weather the study sessions, she occupies her spare time in a myriad of ways. Being very artsy, she particularly enjoys photographing - but not the sort that Colin Creevey advocates. Megan prefers artistic shots, usually of the outdoors.
2) Megan has never had a serious boyfriend - and for that matter, has never had a serious crush. She likes boys, and she's certainly attracted to them, she just happens to be attracted to a lot of them. A variety of them. Narrowing it down seems difficult, and she's not sure she's 100% sold on the idea of a relationship. It just seems like it would tie a girl down.
One Deep, Dark Secret:
Sometimes, Megan takes being hard on herself to the extreme. Though she may seem calm and composed next to Hannah, the guilt over not doing well can take a serious toll on her body. A lot of the time she vomits when she's upset, or cries herself to sleep, but no one would ever know it, as she gets it all out in private. Once she's expelled the feelings of anxiety, she can present the world with a calm, albeit determined, demeanor.
HISTORY
The Jones', having a particularly common name in Wales, have always had a bit of a challenging time keeping their family history separate from the similarly named local families - a task which has been complicated by the fact that, though firmly rooted in magic, muggleborn marriages were both common and celebrated. The Jones have always been around, but have never been particularly pure, identifying themselves as Welsh first and magic second. Afon, the eldest son of four and a Hufflepuff alumnus, felt sure that this attitude would make marriage and having a family a fairly uncomplicated task. To some extent, he was right; but what none of the Jones' had expected was that the person whom Afon would meet and fall for, would in fact be the exact type they found questionable: English. Upon graduation, Afon moved back to his hometown of St. Asaph, a cheerful village known for it's celabratory arts culture and it's close proximity to some of Wales' loveliest ruins. Having lost his father when he was sixteen, and with youngest sister Gwenog not quite off to Hogwarts, Afon took on the role of breadwinner as he pursued a career in music. A steady paying income working for the Welsh sect of the Ministry by day, his mother far from discouraged Afon's creative impulse - until, that is, it led him into the arms up a rough-about-the-edges English woman.
Lorraine was about as far a cry from the Welsh countryside as one could imagine. A street-smart, punked-out Brixon girl, she wore her Jamaican roots about as proudly as Afon his Welsh ones. She was brought to St. Asaph on a whim, having heard so much about the internationally acclaimed music festival, where she caught the attention of the young Hufflepuff. Lorrain, recently having completed a three-year degree in Art History, was a lot smarter than she sometimes sounded: her harsh accent and cynical humour didn't always lend her to Afon's family - particularly his mother - but Gwenog took a keen shining to the girl, which helped in the plight to keep her around. At first the two merely kept in touch through the phone (a little bit complicated for Afon, who'd luckily taken muggle studies), but eventually the two decided to move in together. With Gwenog off to school and Mrs. Jones sudden fancy to travel Europe, the two took over the farm where Afon had grown up and didn't mind sharing when his brother and sisters came back over holidays.
The desicion to marry came only after Lorraine discovered she was pregnant with the couple's first child, which complicated Afon's life on a number of different levels. Though his older brother and sister, Bronwyn and Gavin, had completed Hogwarts and were now searching out jobs for themselves in the real world, Gwenog still called St. Asaph home, and he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty bringing a baby into the house without her approval. But what was done was done, a fact Afon also felt economically. Lorraine had been the principle breadwinner up until that point, supporting the pair by commuting to Cardiff daily and working as an art museum curator. Afon's music career was lukewarm at best, and so he decided instead to invest his time more readily in the Ministry of Magic. The pair married in a quiet, outdoors ceremony when Lorraine was five months pregnant and Mrs. Jones gracefully informed the family she was buying a small flat above the local bakery so she could have a space of her own. When Megan was born, however, her grandmother practically moved back in. And while the aggressive Gwenog enjoyed huffing about the baby crying at three a.m., her aunt positively doted on her - even if she was only thirteen.
Gwenog's age and her living situation have shaped a remarkably unique and close bond between she and her neice. The earliest memories Megan has include both mother, father and Gwenog, and she has become a sort of older sister figure, with a little more authority. The gap in age means they never had anything that resembled bickering, and though Gwenog is young for an aunt, Megan always refers to her as such. A naturally curious child, her formative years were spent productively: exposed to music through her father, art through her mother, quidditch through her aunt, crafts and the outdoors through her grandmother, her largest hobbies can be traced back to her earliest days. Spending her time with her grandmother while her parents worked, Megan became familiar with the Welsh landscape, ruins and history through simple exploration; while she spoke primarily English at home, due to Lorraine's language barrier, Megan and her grandmother conversed easily in her native language and it was through this relationship that Megan truly was given the gift of an established heritage with clear, hearty roots.
As they always do, things change; in Megan's case, that change came screaming into the world in the form of her sister, Cadi, four years her junior. Unlike Megan who was of sturdy stock and liked doing things independantly, Cadi from the first was a needy baby. Fussy, loud and a little bit clingy, she lacked Megan's generally easy tempermant and, worst of all, seemed to bring out a frustration in Megan that had until that point been unknown. She didn't particularly enjoy sharing her family with the new baby, and the fact that Cadi loved the limelight didn't help matters much. As the two grew, they bickered constantly, fostering a sort of rivalry for their parents affections. Being more of a girly girl, Cadi played the pretty card fairly well, while Megan was always pigeon-hold as the responsible one. Her parents were harder on her and expected more of her; though it hasn't always been easy, she knows that in a sense, these high expectations reflect their belief in Megan as a person. A fact which she doesn't let Cadi forget, a fact which Cadi wouldn't forget even if Megan allowed her. The arrival of Rhys two years later only complicated things. More like Megan, the two tend to form an alliance against their sister; being the youngest, Rhys certainly doesn't mind Megan's at-times coddling behaviour.
By the age of eleven, Megan had developed a complicated relationship with her parents, particularly her father. As he moved up in the Ministry, he seemed to become more and more distant from those things in his life he loved - music, the Welsh countryside, and his daughter. His firm parenting techniques and strict guidelines became something of a problem as she moved toward puberty. Hogwarts, naturally, came at the perfect time. Having begun to feel as if she was being suffocated, the castle seemed the perfect taste of freedom. Though she missed her home and certainly felt pangs of sadness, the bustle and the classes and the myriads of new faces made it easy to forget what she was longing for. She quickly was pointed out as Gwenog Jones' niece, and while this would get trying later on, it certainly made the transition remarkably easier. Ever the keener, Megan was prepared for classes and proved herself a good student from the get-go. While she was happy to make new friends - particularly with one Hannah Abbott - letters to her Aunt and her parents ensured she never lost sight of the goal. Megan was at Hogwarts to graduate, first and foremost. Though she loved a good laugh as well as the next person, even at eleven she knew when it was time to get down to business.
This is the attitude Megan has maintained throughout her schooling, though she has at times lapsed more toward one side of the play/work spectrum. As she hit her adolesence, Megan found that she enjoyed the freedom afforded by the castle even more intensely than she had at eleven, and took the time to build a sound social repotoire. Her friendship with Hannah strengthened, and the two enjoy spending summer vacations visiting one another and indulging in the occasional piece of gossip. A good head on her shoulders, Megan always makes sure to keep any eye out for her siblings - even if it's done grudgingly. Actively involved in Quidditch, she's toyed with the idea of following in her aunt's footsteps, but doesn't think she has the talent - or the drive. Times are getting scary, and Megan's starting to realize that if she wants to survive the war, she's going to have to apply that mantra to fighting for the right cause. Having excelled at those classes that are hands-on, she knows that, push come to shove, she won't be completely lost when it's time to brandish a wand. Though she'd much rather spend the year exploring her newfound artistic talents, taking photographs of the falling leaves and planning with her best friend for the most fabulous flat you could imagine, it doesn't seem that those things are on the agenda. But with her do-it-yourself attitude and a penchant for getting things done, Megan Jones is determined to be In This Thing - even if she's not sure she likes that that means.
