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Post by Alex Falconer on Jun 3, 2008 19:11:23 GMT
Alex's shoulder hurt. Her school hag was heavy and the strap that ran over her shoulder and across her body dug into the join of her neck and shoulder blades. The bloody thing had already ripped twice and she'd had to repair it. It was getting to the point that she would need a new one entirely- magic could only do so much. Reaching the large oak tree that stoop a little away from the lake she finally sat down. The bag bit the ground with a tremendous thump. Alex sighed. The strap slid from her shoulder and she raised a hand to massage the bruised skin.
As it was still September it was reasonably warm. Alex took off the outer garments of her school robes and sat in her shirt and flannel trousers. Alex never wore a skirt and had managed to get away without being told off for the trousers simply because they were school uniform. It just happened to be male school uniform. However, she had actually been complimented by Rose about her choice of outfit. Rose had said that trousers suited her a lot more than a skirt would, and Alex thoroughly agreed- especially with her new hair cut, which though it was stylish made her look even more tom-boyish and older. Her mum had said that she looked like a pixie. Alex wasn't sure if this was a compliment, insult, or her mother loosing her eyesight in old age.
Smiling Alex arranged her outer cloak layer of uniform underneath her and reached for her bag. Carefully she withdrew one of several large volumes that had just managed to squeeze into the satchel. It's title had worn away completely and the leather that bound it was so worn it was as thin as paper. Openning the book carefully she saw the title on the first page- the page she had checked to now what it was called back in the library.
Famous Animagi of the Past 50 Years
Alex reached into her bag for a second time and pulled out a piece of parchment, quill and ink. The quill looked fairly battered but at least the ink pot hadn't broken. Twirling her wand and muttering an incantation she had made up herself a small table appeared beside her, which sunk into the ground to make it an even surface. Placing her parchment, ink and quill on the small table she turned the first page of the dusty volume.
Luckily it was nearly dinner time and most students had headed back to the castle for their meal. Alex, however, had eaten earlier, and she would stop by the kitchens for a snack before bed. It was the quiet of the evening at this time that she liked. It was especially useful when she was looking through books she shouldn't really need to. This one was from the normal section of the library- probably to help with some kind of project in Transfiguration. The other two which were much fatter and older she had found in the Room of Requirement. It had taken a few tries to come up with the right wording but she had in the end managed to open the door to a small library of books all containing the secrets of becoming an Animagus. Not wanting to attract attention by disappearing for long periods of time she had taken just a few of the books and decided to read them outside.
After about half an hour she began to realise how tired she was. Alex had been on duty near every evening that week due to the Head Boy being in the Hospital Wing after a muddle with some potion ingrediants. Apparently his ear had been fixed on now and was healing nicely. Then she had had quidditch practice the night before. Rose had offered to reschedule but Alex wouldn't allow it. She'd finished all of her school work so that she had this evening free to research the techniques of becoming an Animgus and thought it prudent to know what the "Famous" Animagi had done right (or wrong), before she started. Yet as she made more and more notes in her slightly scruffy but compact script she felt her eye lids droop. Not even realising it, Alex somehow became dropping over her small table, and then her head was resting on it. Her quill was still moving, and she was still reading, but somehow she wasn't really awake. And then, without her even taking note of where she was in the book or of her surroundings Alex fell asleep.
Resting peacefully against that small table, her hair covering her notes- which would probably smudge the ink, or at least imprint the words on her cheek- and the book in her lap Alex would later be greatful that she didn't snore or drool in her sleep, for fear of being embarassed by passerbys. Instead Alex slept peacefully and calmly with her mouth shut and her face relaxed...
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Post by Ethan Potter on Jun 3, 2008 21:35:56 GMT
 "Mmm, that was nice," Ethan said to the nearest house elf as he licked his fingers. The taste of the hastily-eaten apple pie was still in Ethan's mouth as he pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning against. Hogwarts' kitchens were a favourite haunt for the eighteen-year-old Hufflepuff. "Thanks again, guys!" Ethan called out with a wave of the hand over his shoulder as he made his way towards the door that led out of the kitchens. Ethan could easily have followed everyone else into the Great Hall to get some dinner instead of coming down here, but he had been feeling in an oddly lonesome mood this evening. Oddly, as Ethan was usually anything but lonesome. He was the King of Conversation, the one who loved to talk to anyone about anything. But not today. No, today Ethan had spent the afternoon, after he had finished his lessons, wandering the empty spaces of Hogwarts. A few people had called out to him as he walked along on his own, some just to say hello, others asking if he wanted to come and hang with them, but he had declined all of the latter offers, in preference of solitude.
As he walked through the Entrance Hall on his way outside, Ethan was assaulted by friendly and not-so-friendly faces, but made his excuses quickly and effectively to all of these people he really didn't want to talk to today. Maybe I could go and find Rose... Ethan thought to himself, but dismissed the thought. Rose had mentioned that she would be studying in all of her spare time this week, and he didn't want to get in her way. Ethan may be a year older and have already done all the lessons his sister was now doing, but he knew there was nothing he could teach her academic-wise. Little Rose Potter was the academic sibling in the family, not her older brother Ethan. Ethan had no problem with this, as he knew that were completely different people. He respected his sister's talents, and she respected his.
Maybe I could keep Alex company for a while instead. But for that, Ethan would have to actually know where Alex was... And he didn't. So, without further ado, Ethan continued his walk, heading out of the castle and into the grounds. He had always loved walking around the grounds in Hogwarts. It was a large place, and besides giving you exercise, the scenery surrounding the castle was beautiful.
Just as he had stopped thinking about looking for Alex, Ethan spotted a familiar mop of hair behind a tree. Huh, I should have known to look for her there, Ethan thought as a smile crossed his features. The old oak tree beside the lake was a favourite place for many a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The fact that many of them would fight for the possibility of being able to sit under -- or in -- that tree notwithstanding, it did offer a nice place to sit and relax. In fact, Ethan had spent most of his free time sitting there himself before the summer holidays had broken out. He had found it a brilliant place to just sit and study for exams. Of course, it was also a great place to socialise in, though Ethan hadn't been there himself for quite a while now.
Ethan approached the tree silently, aiming to surprise Alex. However, when he was a few feet away, Ethan noticed that Alex's eyes were closed and her chest was rising with the steady motions of sleep. Indecision pausing his movement, Ethan wondered whether he should just leave Alex to sleep; she had obviously been tired enough to fall asleep outside, and therefore probably needed the rest.
Ethan had always liked Alex, from the first time she had been brought to the Potter house by Rose in their first Christmas holiday from Hogwarts. He had at first treated her like another younger sister, and Ethan sensed that she liked having an older-brother-figure. She was an only child, after all. Still, they had gotten closer, and even 'pretended' to flirt with each other. Of course, this was purely for Rose's annoyance. All older brothers have to annoy their little sister somehow, don't they? Ethan didn't really have any feelings for Alex... Not in that way. At least, that's what he told himself.
"Wakey wakey, sleepy-head!" Ethan suddenly said in a loud, clear voice, taking the initiative to wake Alex up. |
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Post by Alex Falconer on Jun 4, 2008 20:31:24 GMT
Alex's eyelids fluttered as her sleep was disturbed. What the-? That was Ethan's voice wasn't it? What was he doing in the girls' dormitories? How did he get into the Gryffindor Tower? Then sunlight struck her eyes as she got nearer consciousness and she lifted her lids. Sunshine burned her eyes and she squeezed them shut. That's right, she had fallen asleep outside... And Ethan had found her! Alex knife jacked up to a sitting position, gave herself a dose of head-rush, and had a piece of parchment stuck to her cheek. Quickly her eyes focused against the sun and she realised that she was adorned with the sheet. Plucking it from her skin, her hair, the tips coated in dried ink, whacky her cheek on the re-bound. On her cheek, a few strands of words were imprinted-
animal hair needs pore-
small animal= excess matter (vanishing-
Grumbling Alex quickly too her wand out and pointed it at the tips of her hair, leaning her head to one side so that the locks of chestnut wavy hair hang down. With a squirt she wet the ends of her hair and wiped at them as best she could, then dried them again. It was better but not great, she thought, frowning at her handy-work. She then checked her notes, keeping them hidden non-chalantly from Ethan as she said-
"Hey!" She noticed that some of the ink on the sheet was only half the concentration of the rest. She frowned. It looked like something had imprinted on it. Rolling her eyes, she said "I've got it on my cheek haven't I?" Reaching up she rubbed the side of her face so there was just a faint black tinge to her skin and the letters -res with a smudged R. Quickly she shoved her notes and the big book into her bag and magiced away the small table. Sitting up straighter on her outer-garments Alex flicked her hair back over her shoulders- which of course fell straight back into her face and smiled at Ethan. She was still very tired. Slight smudges under her eyes were visible if you looked carefully and the stress at the corners of her mouth seemed to restrict that natural shine that came from her mischievous grin.
"Haven't seen you much this year Potter." Like she did with Rose, Alex called Ethan, Potter which only served for great confusion when all three of them were together- and even worse when Alex was around their house. "How're things in Ethan's world? I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you on the train- duty to all my time this year." Maybe he wouldn't notice how tired she was looking, or maybe he'd attribute her duty to that tiredness without asking. Ethan knew that Alex always experimented- he had never received a special one of a kind Alex made birthday present- she always bought his at Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, but Alex had shown him a few of her spells- whether he used them or not she couldn't say. But this project- becoming an Auror was consuming her more than post. She was forgetting to sleep! But to Alex it didn't matter. She just needed more time to research. Once she finished the research she could practice it any time she wanted- likelihood was that when she was practicing she'd get it wrong every so often and then she'd have to wait until she was back to normal before practicing again- she'd catch up on her sleep then.
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