The Terrace
 

http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/...3/Terrace2.jpg

Around the corner from Professor Bentley’s office is an area where students and staff can come and lounge around in the sun, or sit in shade, surrounded by friends and food. Come and take a seat at one of the cute little tables, the chairs are enchanted with cushioning charms and they are comfier than they look. Have a picnic, a cup of tea, discuss homework or just relax.

For Anyone
 

Hannah walk Into the Garden and took a seat in the chairs.She Found a Purple Tea Kettle that was charm to heat up She Pour the tea into a lime green Tea Cup.Then she turn on her Music and added milk and sugar.

Nessie was trying to find her way, when she saw the most beautiful garden ever. She wondered if she was even allowed to be here and probably thought not. So she thought it be best to leave, but just as she was about to leave she thought she saw somone. As she got closser to see who it was she thought it could be Zara but wasn't sure. "Zara?" called Nessie to see if she was right.

Zara looked up to see that another person had found the terrace. As the girl sat on the chair opposite her, she began to pour tea, listened to music, added milk and sugar to her tea. Zara smiled at the girl, "Hi," she said in a soft voice, "I'm Zara, Danielle Zara Griffiths. That seems like a nice song. Does it have a title?"


"Nessie!" Zara squealed in excitement as she saw her friend again. "I haven't seen you since at the train. Come here, take a seat." She smiled, glad to have seen her friend again. It has been a while since they saw each other. Well, actually it was only yesterday. But still, Zara missed Nessie, she hadn't seen her at the feast probably because she was too overwhelmed by the people at the Gryffindor House Table that she wasn't able to look away from it.

Hi I'm Hannah She siad with a smile.Yeah it dose just close my eyes By Story of a year.Want some tea she said with a smile.She begin Nodding her head.She takes off her jacet showing her tattoos.

Anyone? :)
 

After spending some time at the garden, Mordred made his way further the area and found a terrace. He looked around and decided to stay in one of the comfortable chairs and a table. He thought it was the perfect place to have afternoon tea. He brought out the letters he got from his cousins, and the one letter he got from his best friend. He then got his quill, ink and parchment. He thought it was the perfect place to write letters since the place is far away from their rather noisy common room, the crowded great hall or the rather dark library.

He dipped his quill in to the inkwell and started writing to:

Dear Chloe,

It was rather a long letter for his friend. Mordred knew very well how Chloe hates skipping on the details about his week at Hogwarts.

Mordred smirked. Girls.

"Hi!" said Nessie giving Zara a hug and sitting down. "So do you know what this palce is? asked Nessie curiously. "Oh erm.. Im Renesmee but you can call me Ness or Nessie" said Ness realising there was somone else there too. In fact there were two other people there. "Wanna come sit?" asked Nessie to the boy which was sitting alone.

As Mordred signed his letter, he looked up at the young witch who addressed him. He packed his things, stood up and made his way to their group. He held out his hand and introduced himself. "I'm Mordred. Pleased to meet you Ness." he replied with a grin.

Mordred thought there was just one girl, but then came another one. "I'm doomed." he thought. But just like what his mother told him, courtesy goes a long way. "Hello Zara. I'm Mordred." he introduced himself.

"How did I end up here? I'm with girls. Again." Mordred said to himself, trying to calm himself down.

"Oh, hi Hannah." Zara greeted. "Sure, I'd love to have some tea." Then when Hannah showed her tattoos, Zara blinked. And blinked again. Zara had no idea what tattoos were. "What are those black ink with designs doing on your skin?" she asked with eyes wide open.

Zara smiled as another student came and sat down on one of the chairs. He seemed busy with the things he was carrying so he didn't notice her sitting on the chair beside him. "Hi there," she smiled, hoping she hadn't surprised him since he was writing a letter to someone, "Uhm, I'm Zara. Danielle Zara Griffiths."

Zara returned the hug of Nessie by wrapping her hands around her friend. And finally let go as Nessie sat down on one of the chairs."This place? I think it's a terrace or something. I just came across it while exploring the place. Well, while getting lost, actually." Zara chuckled. She had been quite lost for a couple of times. Luckily, someone was always around who happened to pass by whom she followed secretly or approached and asked where she was.

"Nice to meet you too!" replied Nessie." So um.. Where you from?". Nessie thought the boys name sounded very foriegn and wondered what it could mean.

Nessie giggled. It was the third time she had giggled since what had happened over the holidays. Nessie had managed not to shed one tear during the day at Hogwarts, but at night she would cry herself to sleep. "Yeah I also seem to be getting lost alot it's a huge place."

Tattoo are body art she told her.I have 25 tattoos on each arm and i have 4 tattos on other places.Its not just black Ink Zara there lots of reds and yelleow and more.She haned her a purple tea cup.

"I'm from Kent, South of England. You?" Mordred asked. He wondered why the girl asked him this. It was quite unusual to ask such question since most of the students at Hogwarts were from England. "I presume, you're not from here." he said.

"I know. Oh well, we still have about 6 years ahead of us to figure out the rest of this place. You never know, we might become guides for newcomers when we're older because we've memorized practically the whole place." Zara grinned. It seemed to make her happy knowing that she'd be spending years in Hogwarts. "What have you been doing last night? I've missed you, Nessie."

Gulp. Body art? Zara blinked again, her mouth hanging open, eyes wide. Regaining control of herself, she quickly rearranged her features. "T-that's a l-lot." she pointed out. When Hannah handed her the tea cup, she thanked her, "Thanks." with a smile.

Looking at the face of the boy, she tilted her head to one side. Then when he looked at her, she regained composure and sat straight. "Uhm, hi Mordred," she smiled and added, "Nice to meet you."

yeah i know aleasy i'm not blowing my money on candy or shoes or hand bags.my mom even took to get my last one on each arm.i'm thinking about getting a mom tattoo.

If any of you are hungury hand said her is some food a made.Shirmp tacos Puerto Rican Rice and beans

Wow. "Well, Hannah, I wish your mum good luck." She smiled, "And you too. Good luck on convincing her."

"Thank you." Zara said as she got one of the shrimp tacos. "That's very nice of you." She smiled at Hannah.

Well My apoted mom and dad don't know about my tattoos.My real mom and dad know.I will owl her later today and see what she says.

"Yeah Im from South Africa" said Nessie feeling a bit like a tourist. Nessie started to think of home again and started to miss everything.

An awkward silence followed.

"This is not happening Mordaunt. SPEAK!" he told himself.

"Right. How did you find this place?" he said as he looked around trying to calm himself down. "My mum would love it here." he added as he thought of their manor back in Kent. Their garden back there wasn't as beautiful as this one, since him and Mordred's father would practice beating bludgers every weekend. The bludgers would more often than not be badly hit.

"Scones?" he offered the plate of treats to her.

"South Africa? I've never met anyone from there." he said smiling. "So how does it feel to be far from home?" he asked because he was sure that she was as homesick as he was.

"Well, as your friend, I wish with all my heart that she would accept it." Zara smiled.

"Let's just say I.." Zara hesitated, "I..uhm..got lost." She finally admitted. But she had to admit, getting lost was in for a big surprise. She had found a lot of cool places in Hogwarts because of getting lost. Like this garden, she had found it by accident too because of the fact that her feet wouldn't stop going everywhere it can manage to.

"Thanks," she said as the got a scone from the plate. "Why don't you take a picture of it and send it to her?" Zara asked.

"Ohh, just asking." She said, "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I had fun too. When do I get the honor to meet these awesome Hufflepuff friends of yours?" Zara asked eagerly, hoping to meet new friends. "Maybe we could get together and explore Hogwarts. That way, we'll all be lost together." :xd:

Hi Dude how are you my name is hannah Malfoy.cup of tea Pours tea into a bule cup.Milk, suager,cream what woudl you like.She eats a shirmp taco.

Yeah She has my dad name on her back and a hardy boys tattoo.She getting eage tatoo.

"Booo" Tyler said as he walked by Zara and a few other people that he didn't have clue who they were. He hadn't seen Zara since the train and then he didn't pay much attention to anything. He noticed Nessie and smiled at her in his usual cheerful way "long time no talk, how're you guys? And what are you doing here" he asked.

Mordred nodded. "I see. I got lost too and found the garden first then this one. Our common room has gone chaotic, the library's too dark for me to write, the pathway and the lake was getting crowded and I ended up here. I have to make 6 letters today. 5 for my cousins the other one's for...a friend. This is the perfect place to write letters and to have tea." he said. "Yes I should take a picture, but I keep on forgetting my camera inside my trunk." he said as he looked around at the place once more. He will definitely go back here, when it's deserted so he could play his pan flute in peace.

"Hi, I'm good. My name is Mordred Mordaunt. Yes a cup of tea with milk and 3 cubes of sugar. Thank you." he replied to another girl.

"A third one. I'm dead." he said as he found himself surrounded by three girls. "This isn't happening."

"yeah it's deffinatley different here!" said Nessie wishing she could be home and see all her friends ezpecially her best friend.

Nessie giggled yet again . " Well, you know Oakey and the rest whenever you want really just let me know." said Nessie actually managing a smile. Nessie really loved spending time with Zara.

Nessie got a fright when somone went boo and jumped. It was Tyler ofcourse he always gave her a fright. "Oh Hey yeah Im ok? How about you?" asked Nessie glad to see Tyler.

Since this is kinda Turing into a tea party I would to introduce myself.My name is Hannah Malfoy.Would you like a cup of tea and we Have Shrmip tacos Rice&becan and scones.


Nice to meet Morderd Thats good I'm Fablous.She pour Milk and put 3 cubs of Sugar in his tea.cupcake my good man.

"Mind if I have scones, instead? Thank you." he said grabbing a scone.

Your very Welcome Dude.she put back on her head phone and Breakin ben was on it was i will not bow.

"Thanks" said Nessie smiling and pouring herslef some tea.

sorry about that I'm Hannah Malfoy.she pass the milk and sugar.

"Its cool. Im Renesmee but you can call me Ness or Nessie for short" Nessie finishd making her tea then had a sip.

Anyone? Any one at all?
 

Nika skipped into the terrace with a smile on her face. "Wow." She looked at it in awe. "This place is beautiful!"

Nika had come to the garden. "Um.. would you like to join" asked Ness not likeing to leave people out.

Nika smiled at the girl. "Yeah sure!" She had talked to Ness before, but not for too long.

Serena wiped her face, and arrived at the tea-party. Yep, she loved tea. She drew out her cup and said "Hey everyone, I'm Serena, now where's the tea?" She smiled slightly, hoping to hide her eyes.

Nika would color cup do you want.i kinda handed out different colors because of people drinking the wrong cup.

Hannh took the cup and poured tea,Milk,cream,Sugar.She pased them to her.Cupcake,scones,wish we had cookies and brownies.

Serena grinned, attempting to act normally. She still felt the tears threatening to break free again, but thought them back. "This looks brilliant" she said to anyone who was listening.

"Great" said Nessie smiling. "So how is everyone?" asked Nessie glad to have even more company.

Serena finished her tea and was about to take a biscuit when to her horror she saw Mordred. Mortified she quickly said thank you and ran off. Trying not to look to upset. She had no special friend... She ran into the castle, not caring where she was going.

Nika smiled excitedly. OH TEA! "Pink please!" she replied without hesitation. Pink. It was an obvious answer for her. Pink, her hair. Pink, her favorite color. Pink, her personality. Pink, her.

She then turned her attention back to Nessie and smiled widely. "Absolutely amazing because now I'm back at Hogwarts!" It really is the place to be. "So how about you?"

Here you go one pink tea cup lots of sugar and milk.now hogwarts is almost the college nika.without the party and that other stuff.

"Yeah Im good just pretty" tired said Nessie thinking of last night. She took another sip from her tea. Then took a scon and started to nible on it.

"That's very..." Zara trailed off trying to find the right word as she took a drink of her tea. "..interesting." She finished. "So did you enjoy the feast last night?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.

Was that...? REALLY?! TYLER! "TYLER!" She shouted as she stood up from where she was seated and ran to Tyler. Out of joy she hugged him then realized what she was doing might freak him out. "Oops. Sorry." She said, as she let go and smiled sheepishly.

Zara smirked when he hesitated in saying who the last letter was for. A friend, huh? "Interesting," she commented. Zara looked up at the sky, which perfectly complimented the greenery that surrounded her. It was blue, a light shade of blue and a lot of clouds were to be seen. It was a wonderful morning. She'd be hesitant to leave the place, but she'll probably come back everyday during free time. 'Hm, wonder when class starts.' Then she thought of asking the boy. "Say, do you have any idea when classes start?"

"That'd be great!" Zara grinned at the thought of meeting new friends. But honestly, her memory of the ones she'd met yesterday was really poor. She could hardly remember their names. Probably, she has to make a list later of all of them, if she doesn't to start calling people different names and get them all mixed up. The only ones she remembers are the ones whom she actually spent a lot of time with like Tyler, Nessie, Daichi, Tayla, Ella, Matt, Kurumi, and a few others.

"Do they have a piano in this place? I could use some time practicing." Zara asked, hoping Nessie knew what a piano was.

"Um I'm not sure. Do you play? I play the guitar but I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano too." said Nessie thinking of her guitar and wanting to go get it so she could play. She loved playing and making music it always used to make her feel good, though she never really let people hear the music she made. Her best friend was the only person which had heard, but now that she was gone no one on this earth had heard it. Nessie didn't know if it would stay that way as she wanted people to enjoy her music. It was just that she became a bit shy everytime she tried.

"Yup, I sure do. I love playing the piano. When I'm happy, it celebrates with me. When I'm sad, it's my home to run to. When I'm angry, it soothes my soul. Music is my first best friend ever since I was little." Did that make sense? I hope it did. "That's great. I only know the basics of guitar and nothing else. If you want, I can teach you to play the piano over summer or the holidays when you come by my home or when I go to yours." Zara grinned.

"No not really. I guess they are giving us the time to socialize first and to get to know the place. I can't wait to start though." Mordred replied. "I heard Lord Borr's our DADA professor." he said.

"Yeah thats exactly how I feel about guitar."said Nessie getting a bit over excited."Omg yes I would love that,that would be AWSOME!! thank you so much" said Nessie giving Zara a huge hug.Then after realising how crazy she had gone she thought it be best to apologise. "Erm .. Im sorry I just a bit over excited".

"Lord Borr?" Zara blinked, "Who's that?" Obviously, she hadn't got a clue who the guy was. Her parents never told her anything about magic until last month and they haven't told her everything yet, quite clearly.

Zara giggled, "It's okay Nessie. I'm giving out free hugs today." Lol. Then Zara shouted...

"FREE HUGS, PEOPLE! GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE FREE!" Hihi, Nessie looked at her almost as if she were crazy.

Nessie giggled then smiled. Zara always knew what to do at exactly the right time. "Zara your the BEST!" said Nessie giving her another huge hug."I wish I could have met you earlier then we could have known eachother longer." said Ness so happy to have met Zara she really was awsome!!

"He's the head of the Ministry. I don't know if he'll be a good professor though. It'll be quite upsetting if I don't get to excel in DADA." Mordred replied. "What subject's your favorite?" he asked.

Zara grinned. "Hihi, I wish the same too. At least we get to spend six or seven years togedah." Zara said and winked. "Saay, you wanna go eat breakfast? I think the sound of pancakes, waffles, and sausages are calling my stomach." She offered, standing up from her seat.

"Well.." Zara pondered. What was her favorite subject? Aha! Of course, the one where you learn spells. "Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts." She smiled. Yeap, those were her two favorites and she plans on studying hard for those two subjects. "You?"

"Yeah sure. I'm also kinda hungry" said Nessie getting up to walk with Zara. "And I can deffinately hear my stomach calling them back!" said Nessie giggling. Zara was really a great and awsome friend.

"DADA, Transfiguration and Potions." he told her. "I hope to learn a lot of things this term." he said as he took a bite of his scone. "Right, have you seen the old ship? I wonder what's inside it." he said as he mind drifted back to the lake.

Tali, let's continue this at the Great Hall. :)
 

"Yeah, let's go," Zara said as she and Nessie made their way towards the Great Hall.

"I wonder too. You wanna go swim toward it and look?" She asked mischievously. But she was just messing around. "Haha, I'm just kidding. See you around, Mordred!" She said as she stood up. "I'll go head to the Great Hall and go eat. I'm starving." She explained as she rubbed her stomach. "Bye!" She waved as she and Nessie walked away.

"Yeah Bye Modred hope to see you again!" said Nessie smiling. She then went quickly to walk with Zara.

Mordred nodded in acknowledgement as he finished his cup of tea. "It was nice talking to the both of you. I'll see you in class." he said as he waved at them. Mordred then sat back on his chair and closed his eyes.

Christopher wandered through the terrace, many things on his mind. He wanted to just relax and clear his mind, getting away from Nathan and Violet, schoolwork, Selina accusing him of being with Cass, his parents, all of it. The fresh air of the grounds always made him feel better. It relieved his stress.

He wandered over to a bench, not really paying attention to where he was going. All of the sudden, Christopher felt himself trip over a rock. Typical. He picked himself up and brushed off his robes, finding himself at the feet of a younger girl, gaping at him. She looked rather familiar.... but he couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen her before. "Erm.... Hi," he said shyly. Great, now she probably thought he was a freak too. Like he needed any more people thinking that.

Zara looked at the guy who tripped accidentally. It was Christopher! She was about to help him stand up when he managed to do it himself. "Are you okay?" She asked. Obviously, Zara he tripped so he's not okay you dimwit. "Hi, Christopher. Still remember me?" she asked as she dragged towards the bench and they sat down together.

"Er, yeah. I'm fine." Christopher said, still mortified by his fall. Why was he such a klutz? He was having an argument in his head about how not to fall down, when he was suddenly backwards with the younger Gryffindor. "Woah!" He wasn't expecting it, and he tripped backwards onto the bench. Again. He couldn't help but trip over his feet. Idiot boy.

She asked if he remembered her, and the thirteen year old froze. He didn't want to be mean, because he really didn't remember her. Though she was familiar.... Think Christopher, think! He'd surely seen her around the Common Room, but he was sure he hadn't talked with her there..... Hmm....

Then suddenly, it popped into his head where he knew this girl. "You were at the feast!" He blurted out. Then he realized even though he'd spoken to her, he hadn't the slightest idea who this girl really was. "Oh, er sorry, I don't think I caught your name before it ended!" Christopher said it with sincere disappointment. This girl was obviously eccentric; it was a shame he hadn't gotten to know her sooner.

Zara's arms were ready once again to support him. He was falling again, luckily, he fell at the bench, so he was sitting down now. Honestly, were boys like this? Matt was just like him too. And Daichi was close enough to being one. Tyler was probably the only boy who seemed to have his balance controlled. "Easy there. Be careful." she smiled.

"Of course I was at the feast, silly. Everyone was." Zara chuckled. Surely, he didn't remember her. "I'm Zara Griffiths. It's really not a surprise you don't remember, we had such a short conversation." She said, still smiling. Zara was happy that he admitted it instead of pretending he knew all along like how Daichi had called her "Kara."

Christopher blushed furiously. He probably resembled a tomato, but a little less red. He wasn't always like that. Some days he just woke up and his feet had decided that they weren't up to working properly. Other times, he'd be just fine. Graceful, even. But today was not one of those days. It was a I'm-going-to-fall-down-a-lot day. "Sorry about that.... Sometimes my feet just act as though they don't know how to walk." It sounded mental when he said it aloud. Great. Just Great.

The thirteen year old lightened a bit and chuckled along with the firstie. "You know what I mean, we spoke briefly!" He'd spoken to many people, but hadn't really caught any of their names. Most were just first year girls flirting with every boy in sight. Christopher was very relieved that this girl was not in that creepy-stalker girl category of the first years. He hoped not all eleven year old girls acted that way. "Zara? That's an awesome name! Very unique." He did love strange names like that. Heh, Zara. But no, his parents had stuck with just plain old Christopher. Le sigh.

"So Zara, have you been having a fun at school?" Christopher knew he needn't have asked it. Everyone always was. It was his only home, so he was overjoyed to be back. He was already dreading summer all over again.

Zara watched as the third year in front of her turned red. Panic was in her eyes, what was happening? If he suffocating or something?Then he spoke. He spoke in a calm way. 'Hm, guess nothing's wrong then.'

"You really think so? Thanks." She smiled, not knowing how to respond to that. Should she also comment on his name? Christopher. Hmm, well, she had cousins named Christopher. Oh well, Zara decided not to push that subject any further. Besides, the guy gave her another topic to talk about.

Grinning, Zara rushed through in her made the friends she made at Hogwarts, and the different places she'd visited. Yeap, it was a great place. Surely she had more to meet and more to discover. "Sure am!" She beamed. "But it's getting kind of repetitive. They've all asked me the same questions so far. I was looking forward to something new, something out of the box."

"ZARA! You remember me now" Tyler replied feeling slightly confused by her random yell, were these guys were really having a tea party? He wondered looking around and hearing somebody tell him about a tea party. Tea parties weren't his thing, he didn't even drink tea, tea was nasty. Just when he thought this couldn't get any weirder Zara hugged him, he hugged her back quickly letting go "somebody's happy?" he guessed.

"Yup yup." She smiled. There wasn't exactly a tea party, it just so happened that they all wanted to sit down, and those chairs were the only option unless they wanted to get their clothes dirty. And, there was tea. Of course, drink what can be drunk, eat what can be eaten. "Sorry for that." She apologized, but it wasn't really awkward for her. He was like her brother, a twin brother maybe. Besides, Zara's not interested in what other guy-crazy eleven year olds liked. Just friends, yep.

Zara grabbed one of the scones and began munching again.

Christopher grinned at his fellow Gryffie. "No problem." Seriously, the name Zara was awesome.

The lion couldn't help but feel a bit jealous as the younger girl told him of all of her adventures and friends. Sure, he'd been on plenty of adventures, but friends, he didn't have many. Probably less than ten, really. But they were really good friends, and he couldn't ask for more. "That's great! Hogwarts is probably the best place on the planet. Atleast in my opinion." He grinned. Hogwarts rocked.

Repetitive? He'd have to fix that! "If you're looking for out of the box, I'm sure I can come up with something." Christopher grinned. "So, do you believe in Santa Claus?" Hopefully, the question was eccentric enough. He'd never really believed in it as a kid, it didn't really take a genius to figure it out. Though his little sister was just a year younger than him and still believed. But then again, she believed in everything. Including Narlges and Wrackspurts and Crumple-Horned Snorcacks. She was the definition of a present day Luna Lovegood. He didn't know if Pureblooded or any other kind of wizarding families believed in that kind of thing, but as a Muggleborn, he'd grown up around that atmostphere. Until he found out he was a wizard, that is.

"If you don't mind," Zara excused, "Can I call you Chris?" She grinned. It was a long name, very worthy of a good nickname.

Zara was a hundred percent agreeing with Christopher. Hogwarts probably is the best place on the whole world. "Yeah, it really is."

Santa Claus? Who was that? Oh! The man who gave gifts during Christmas. Well, she's been in on that secret since she stepped on the age of 7. Smiling, she said, "Oh, that guy? Nope, but I did believe in him before, when I was still young. But when my parents came back to working in the Wizarding World, leaving their Muggle jobs, I never got any more presents from Santa. So they told me all about him and apologized for lying." She grinned, happy to be able to come across something that's not the usual.

Rachie
 

Finlay wasn't really that good at herbology, so part of him didn't really know why he was wandering over here. He'd seen Sophie leave the grounds though, and was kind of following her. Finn hadn't seen her since that incident on the 7th floor, and was still intending to thank her for taking him down to the hospital wing. That was why he had followed her down to the terrace, not because he was a stalker. "Soph..." He paused, as he stood at the table she was sat at. He was dressed casual just like she was, and he was really hoping that they wouldn't be disturbed down here. Not again.

"Yeah... Sure!" He'd never really thought of himself as a 'Chris,' but all of his friends seemed to think that was his only name. So he'd pretty much gotten used to it! Christopher was, after all, a very long name.

Christopher grinned back at Zara, for the story was very interesting. He laughed, imagining his own parents apologizing for lying. He couldn't really picture it. "Your parents had Muggle jobs even though they were wizards?" He wondered if he'd ever come across another wizard back in his Muggle town, but doubted it. Nobody eccentric or out of the ordinary came to his tiny coastal city. But Zara's case was very strange, though probably not unheard of, and he wanted to hear more about it. "So, tell me a little more about your parents' strange ordeal, I find it quite fascinating!" What a little nerd he was.

Sophie was so engrossed in an article that she didn't hear Finlay approach and that was why she jumped almost out of her seat when he said her name. Trying to calm herself she looked up at him "Hi, Fin!" she said before looking down at her article to finish the last sentances of it. Would they be interrupted in the terrace too and more importantly how had Fin known that she gone to the terrace for some peace and quiet?

"Yeah, they did. My dad was a doctor before and my mum was a concert pianist. Then this strange letter came along and ripped itself into pieces. I really didn't see or hear much after that because they covered my eyes and ears. After that, they weren't the same anymore, my dad wasn't working in his hospital and my mum didn't even touch the piano at home anymore." She narrated, Zara winced as she remembered those dark times. But oh well it's in the past and now she knew the whole reason behind it.

"Months and years passed, and it was by birthday. December 18th, I was turning 11. My parents stayed home for the first time, it was really weird because they looked at me expectantly that day. Like they were waiting for something to happen. So I got out mail from the mailbox as always and brought them in. It was the first time I got any mail since I had no communication to the outside world. I was so happy and showed it to my parents. Then they started to hug me and congratulate me, I didn't know why they had to be all excited for me having my first letter." She explained, looking at Chris if she was talking too much and boring her friend. "Well, it was my letter from Hogwarts, and the next few months we bought my supplies and books and they told me stories about the magical world. Everyone was back in place again. So, it turns out my dad was an auror now and my mum's part of the Wizengamot council." She finished with a grin.

"Well, enough about me. Let's hear your story."

Opps. Finlay hadn't meant to make her jump out of her seat. Maybe he should have coughed or something to make his presence known. "Hey." Finlay smiled, as he sat himself down beside her. This terrace looked quite nice, and although he didn't do too well at herbology he could see himself coming down here quite a bit over his last term. "I'm so if I scared you..." He smiled at her. He was pretty sure that she didn't mind that much. Otherwise she would probably have hit him. "It's nice down here." He mused, glancing around

"What was that letter? Why did it do that?" He'd never heard of that before. Perahps it was a howler. He wondered what it said, but he didn't pry. It was probably personal and he'd just met the girl for gosh sake's.

Christopher continued to listen intently to Zara's story. He found it all so interesting. "So you didn't know you were a witch until you were eleven?" He could relate there. He remembered how excited he was when he got his very own Hogwarts letter.

And then she asked about his story. "Oh...." He fidgetted uncomfortably. Christopher hated talking about his home life; he could hardly call it either. It wasn't a home nor a life. So he tried avoiding all painful things the best he could. He only hoped Zara didn't notice the scars and bruises all over his arms, legs, neck. Luckily for him his clothes covered up the rest of them. He hated going swimming at the lake for this very reason. "Well.... I'm Muggleborn, so I didn't know about Hogwarts either. My dad was cool about it, but my mum wasn't...." He winced, thinking of how violent and crazy his mum went. She nearly strangled the Professor who came to deliver it. "Well anyway, my mum doesn't work but she buys too many shoes and my dad's a high school history teacher, atleast he was. He has cancer and it's really bad." He lowered his voice. "He's probably going to die by next summer."

"Well, when I was finally let in to the secret, my parents explained to me that it was a letter from the Ministry. Said they wanted my parents back to work for them. Of course, my parents couldn't say no, so a week after that they had new jobs at the Ministry and completely abandoned their Muggle ones." She explained.

Ohh that one. Zara remembered that day, it was the best day ever. "Yeah, I didn't know it until I was eleven. Though I still don't understand why they had to keep it from me. Probably they weren't sure if I'd turn out a witch. But we're purebloods so they were kind of expecting it 99%; the 1% they weren't sure of." She smiled. It was all good.

When Zara asked of his story, she wondered why he looked so awkward. Uh oh. Probably he didn't want to tell Zara. She wished she's never asked, and completely regretted doing so. But the words were out, no way to take it back, unless she had a time turner. Now that would be awesome.

WHAT?! DIE?! Zara's eyes widened in shock and immediately felt concern for the guy in front of her. "I'm..sorry..to hear that," she said, she didn't know what cancer was. But by the sound of it, it seemed deadly--lethal. Her face showed on a frown, wondering what life must be like to know that your own dad would die soon. Zara shuddered. No, she couldn't bear the thought of her own father dying slowly, life slowly fading away from his whole self.

"The Ministry sounds really cool. Maybe I'd like to work there one day after Hogwarts." Yeah, that'd be pretty awesome. "Did the Muggles ever wonder what happened to your parents? Did they resign from their jobs or something?" That could've been quite a problem if they just disappeared. Maybe even police would get involved if there was a missing persons' report. Woah.

"Like a squib? Those are like backwards Muggleborns, right?" That sounded right to him, but he'd better check with someone like Zara. It was so weird that Christopher had been at Hogwarts for three years, but some firsties already knew more about it than him.

Christopher stared at his feet. "Thanks." He wished he could save his dad. But he couldn't. It didn't seem very fair. It seemed cruel and horrible. Maybe the Ministry could save Muggle's lives! But that was quite unlikely too. He sighed. There didn't seem to be much hope for him. Then it was off to the orphanage; his mum surely wouldn't keep him or his sister around. Not that they were 'freaks.'

"They did resign immediately. Seemed in a rush. People were sad to see dad go, he was the local doctor, built his own hospital right next to our house. My mum was a great pianist but hey, there are a lot of other great musicians around, so they just replaced her. But her music had a whole lot more to it than they think, that's just my opinion. She plays with feelings, with emotions. I know there are a lot of musicians who also play and sing with emotion, but there's just something about mum that's different. Or maybe that's just because she's my mum," Zara chuckled.

A squib? Yeah, probably. "Well at least I didn't turn out to be one. Being a squib would make me feel so awful, like I wasn't able to live up to my parent's expectations. Somehow, I felt like they were afraid of me being one since I didn't really show any signs of being a magical person when I was young. I was just plain and simple like a Muggle. They thought I was a squib, as they admitted to me. It was a great relief for them to know I was a witch." She grinned.

And her grin immediately faded. "Couldn't there be some cure to this? Every sickness has a cure right? Or is cancer rare and can't be cured?" She asked, trying to find some hope in that situation.

Christopher had wanted to be a doctor or a vetrenarian before he found out back Hogwarts. Now he had no clue. But he still had awhile before he needed to worry about that just yet. "Yeah, I know what you mean. My sister and I are like that." Not to toot his own horn, but the Gryffindor was pretty good at music, mostly because it all came from the heart, even though it sounded pretty cliche.

Thinking back on his own childhood, Christopher had been a pretty weird kid. "I'm sure your parents would have loved you anyway." Unless they were like his mum. "Now that I really think about it, both my sister and I have always been weird- different. We showed signs of being magical very early, but of course we thought we were just odd. None of us where ever expecting to me to get my Hogwarts letter, and we were still not sure if my little sister would get one the year after, but sure enough, a teacher came and explained it all to my parents again....." That had been quite an interesting day.

"Well, there are lots of kinds of cancer. But the kind my dad has doesn't have a cure yet. Atleast not that any Muggles can find. But I'm not allowed to do magic outside of school. And I don't think the Ministry can do anything about that either." He sighed. He really wished they would.

Danielle hitched her bag up further on her shoulder as she made her way towards the terrace, she looked up and spotted what appeared to be an empty table nearby. Making a beeline for it, she headed over quickly, sitting down and smoothing out her skirt as she took off her sunglasses and ruffled up her blonde curls to perfection.

Orabelle flipped her long brown hair over one shoulder, readjusting the strap on her Gucci bag. She didn't quite remember why she was here again, but she batted a flower away from her. She did nawt need it to get in her face. She lifted her sunglasses and perched them at the top of her head. She smiled as she saw her blonde friend and walked towards there. At least she had opted against heels today, she wouldn't want to get them ruined here.

Orabelle took a seat across the blonde. "Dani, bonjour, it's been a while," Orabelle said smoothing out the skirt of her dress and pulling in her seat. She swept her hair off to the side.

Dani smiled when she saw her friend Orabelle approaching. She waved over to her and watched as she sat down opposite at the little garden table that she was sat at.
"Bonjour 'Belle!" she said happily as she pushed her now getting rather long, blonde curls behind her ears and smiled her dazzling smile at her friend again. "It has been a while- too long" she said honestly with a little sad sigh.
"How has everything been for you?" she asked Orabelle curiously as she checked out her perfect nails which were hot pink that day. They matched her white cut off blouse and pink amazingly- as usual. Dani always made sure nothing clashed. That would be a big faux pas.

Orabelle smiled softly back. "Quite a while," she agreed as she set her bag down on her lap. She glanced at the girl's nails and couldn't help but think that it was a bit too... bright but she wasn't going to say. Orabelle looked back up and smiled. "It's alright I suppose, there are some... decent people," Orabelle said. And yes, so maybe she liked one of those people but that didn't mean she had to say that she did. Hmph. "And you?" Orabelle asked.

Dani smirked a little- some decent people. So Orabelle was hopefully liking it at Hogwarts... maybe just a little. "There are!" she agreed as she delved in her bag and got out her natural lipgloss. She applied some before answering- "Yeah, everything's been okay so far. And the people are nice. I guess" she said as she sighed. Boy trouble wouldn't disappear though. It never would by the looks of things. "There are times I just wish I was back at Beauxbatons though. At least I'd be able to avoid my best friend" she said softly before looking back at Orabelle. "I've known him for years now... ages. But I... I think I like him... like, really like him. But he's only interested in this other girl who obviously doesn't look at him in that way" she sighed again, a little annoyed. "Guys are so confusing sometimes" she said with a little eye roll.

"But only a handful," Orabelle added quickly. Because she did not need to get attached to this school. she did not because she needed to get back to Beauxbatons somehow. "Nice... they all are, it's disgusting," Orabelle sighed. Too many nice people in this school, way too many. Nice people were hard to work with and dressed in disgusting clothes. "I always wish I was back at Beauxbatons," Orabelle muttered.

Still, she listened to Dani as she spoke. "They're guys, it's one of their characteristics... like the guy I met in Diagon Alley, I mean like... he's cute, he's sweet and now he won't talk to me," Orabelle sighed. And that was just ridiculous. "Besides, it's just a game of eliminating the competition," Orabelle said, a bit of an evil glint in her eyes as she smirked evilly.

Dani laughed and nodded- "Beauxbatons was a lot more... refined" she said honestly as she looked around, even though it was kinda pretty here. Nothing compared to how beautiful their Beauxbatons was. This place would never compare.
She sighed after what Orabelle had said about the guy who was ignoring her- "Well, he's dumb then, do you have any clue as to why he's ignoring you?" she asked curiously as she smirked at what 'Belle said next. "See... I want to but I just... I dunno" she said with a little shrug. Truthfully, Dani was a bit too nice. The whole situation was hurting her, but she didn't know if she could handle hurting other people. "I just think he's being silly. I mean... of course, I'm way prettier than her" she giggled as she smiled at Orabelle. "There are no imperfect people at Beauxbatons" she sighed, missing the school even more right then. The way it was all so perfect, the way everyone was pretty much perfect- on the outside, maybe not so much on the inside.

Orabelle nodded. "Beauxbatons didn't have people running around thinking they were pretty in rags," she said in a bit of a disgusted tone. Nothing could ever compare to the beauty of the school in France. "If I had any idea do you think I'd be complaining?" Orabelle asked as she quirked a brow. No. Because instead she'd be talking to him. He was, really, her first friend here. "Of course, you're gorgeous, so, who is this girl?" Orabelle asked as she opened her bag to pull out a plastic container.

And what was the container filled with...? It was filled with warm fluffy biscuits. "So, this... Hufflepuff guy showed me the kitchens and told me about these, apparently they're supposed to be good," Orabelle said as she opened it and pushed it towards Dani. "Want?" she asked.

"There were loads of imperfect people in Beauxbatons, it was just that the perfect people, like us, balanced things out," Orabelle said with a giggle and a smirk.

Dani sighed and blushed slightly- yeah, she was a little ditzy at times, it hurt when people pointed it out though.
She looked up- "I... do know who she is" she said as she looked at the plastic container. "But I can't really tell" she smirked, knowing he probably wouldn't want her telling everyone. "I don't wanna shout it all out. Makes it more... real" she said, knowing that it sounded silly. But, oh well. She shrugged and sighed sadly.
She laughed at what 'Belle said next. "Yeah, you have a point" she said as she looked at the biscuits, wondering who'd made them... "Thanks" she said softly, knowing she should stay away from the sweet stuff, she broke it in half and nibbled on it slowly. It was good! She nodded- "Yeah, they are good" she said as she sighed and brushed away crumbs gracefully. "Do you miss the others?" she asked, referring to their gang of friends back at Beauxbatons- Mollie, Ciara... all those friends that would probably be having so much fun without them.

Orabelle stared at Dani. "Why not? It'll give a perfect reason to possibly get revenge, after all, take what you want, never settle for second," Orabelle said before pulling out her lipgloss and swiping it across her lips. She always followed that, it was practically one of the rules of her life. "Besides, if the boy thinks someone else is cuter he must be second-rate and the girl, third," Orabelle said with a smirk.

She pulled out another plastic container filled with jam. Eep. She loved jam. "So I've been told," Orabelle said as she unwrapped the utensils and spread the jam on one of the biscuits. "He said that they were delicious," Orabelle shrugged. So, maybe the weird Huffie was right. Whatever.

"Everyday, but I like to think that they miss us loads more," Orabelle said with a giggle. And who wouldn't? The two of them were amazing back at Beauxbatons. Oh Merlin, what a lifetime ago it seemed. "They're probably having yet another little party and sneaking out after hours," Orabelle sighed wistfully as she took a bite of the biscuit she had in hand. Oooh. soft.

Dani smirked- she was so desperate to do something... but she didn't want to be mean. Yet. "If the situation worsens... we'll get onto it. Right now, she's clearly not bothered" she said honestly with another sigh. "But I'm not letting it go" she said as she heard what Orabelle said next. "He's... better than that. I would have thought he could see what's in front of him, but obviously not" she said as she shrugged again.
"So... this 'he' Hufflepuff guy... you like him?" she asked with another mischevious smile. Knowing 'Belle would give a frosty reply, but she had to try.
"So do I" she nodded. "Gosh, the parties- I miss all of that sososo much!" she said honestly as she smiled sadly. "Remember we used to go lay out on the beach? Like every day..." she smirked, missing that. Her tan was missing that too.

"Oh Merlin, Dani, just have a little fun, you probably want to anyways," Orabelle sighed as she pushed another moving flower away. You'd think these things would be trained. "If he can't see what's in front of him, he's nawt better than that, he's worst," Orabelle said seriously with another roll of her eyes. THe boy was most likely insane, like her cousins. Which was probably why he was hopelessly in "love" with another girl and not Dani.

"Nope, I like a much cuter Ravenclaw," Orabelle said with a little glint in her grey eyes and a smirk. "And even if he refuses to talk to me, I'll get him somehow," Orabelle said. "Besides, aren't Hufflepuffs like... the bottom of the social ladders here? Why would I ever get interested in someone who is lower than me?" Orabelle asked. It was life, and life meant climbing up and not lowering oneself.

She sighed once more. "Merlin, as do I, as do I," she said with a little pout. Oh... the beaches. "It was amazing, the tans, the boys, the glitz and glamor of it all," Orabelle said a little bit dramatically.

Dani laughed and sighed- "He's known me for years and her for like... a month. And he loves her. Yeah" she said sarcastically. But she didn't really want to talk about all that anymore, it hurt her too much. She gave 'Belle a look to indicate that they were off that subject now. Well, at least for now. She knew she'd be needing Orabelle's help at some point with all of this- maybe just to give Connor a little gentle nudge in the right direction. But 'Belle would probably do that without Dani even asking her to.
She smiled as mischeviously as before- "Oh, I bet you will 'Belle. He won't be able to resist you after a while... I'm sure" she smirked. "Yeah, you do have a point there" she said with a little nod. She had to admit that she wouldn't have been too happy if she'd have gotten into Hufflepuff, but that would never have happened because she was a legacy to Slytherin.
"Oh, it totally was" she agreed. "The guys there... at least they saw what was right in front of them" she smiled at 'Belle. They'd never had trouble with guys at Beauxbatons.

She sighed and avoided the subject. Ah well, revenge shall be served as an icy dish. And Orabelle was definitely good at that. She just smiled sweetly like she wasn't thinking of anything remotely close to what Dani was thinking about.

Orabelle giggled. "Merlin, he's super cute though, and he's a transfer like us, but he's from Oregon," Orabelle sighed dreamily. And he had an adorable smile. The brunette took another bite of the biscuit. It was starting to get too sweet. The Hufflepuff had failed to mention that part.

"Obviously, any of them were lucky if we agreed," Orabelle giggled. Boy troubles never really existed back them, other then how to dump them. At least that was the case for Belle back then.

Dani sighed and smiled- "Oregon... hmmm" she said softly as she wondered who this mysterious guy was. She noticed the look on 'Belle's face as she took another slow bit of the biscuit. "Those things get way too sweet after a while" she laughed, remembering the brownies her Mum made all the time. She could never eat more than a couple before feeling ill.
She laughed- "Yeah, they were" she said with a little grin as she smiled at 'Belle. "I'm so jealous of the bro still being there" she said as she thought about him. "So jealous" she laughed.
"Ooh! Yeah, my Mum owl'ed me the other day- remember I told you she wanted to do some pictures of you? Some teen witch magazine have assigned her a few upcoming shoots for the next year... and she wants you to do one next summer" she nodded excitedly. "And me" she smirked. "She's gonna find out more- but it's definately going to be abroad. Somewhere beautiful and hot" she said, the exact opposite of where they were stuck now.

Orabelle nodded. "In a small town," she added before she shook her head clear of thoughts of him. Ugh. He was evil doing that. Orabelle couldn't remember another time like that she had talked about a boy like that. Ugggggh. whyyyyy?

Orabelle sighed. "I'm jealous your brother is there and I'm not," she said pouting with a giggle. Nawwwh, she had moved on from him. She was much more interested in a certain Ravenclaw... "My younger sister started at Beauxbatons as well, I hate Nicolette for being able to attend it," Orabelle sighed. It was terribly unfair. Just because she was younger didn't mean anything.

"Oh Merlin! I definitely can't wait now!" Orabelle said, giggling as she clapped her hands in delight. Then Orabelle remembered something. She opened her bag and pulled out a navy blue card tied close with a silver string. "My mother's hosting another party this year over the winter and you are invited," Orabelle said with a smile. Yes, it was early, but it was never too early when there was so much planning to do.

Orabelle could practically picture the Bellamonte Castle being filled with strangers as they cleaned up and started decorating now. Oh, the noise! Orabelle wished was back there to help with the designs.

Dani laughed, knowing that Orabelle's mind had probably moved well on from her big brother by then- on to this Ravenclaw boy more like. She smiled- "Aww, little Nicolette!" she said softly. She'd always been fond of 'Belle's little sister.
She smiled at the invite- remembering the last part the Bellamonte family had hosted, they were always so fabulous. "Thank you, sweetie! I'm sure it will be amazing as usual" she said as she took a sip from the water bottle she always kept on her- just to keep up her perfect skin.
"Are you inviting all of the Beauxbatons people?" she asked curiously, wondering if they'd be there.

Orabelle moaned. "Ugh, she's being a complete horror! Merlin, the other day I saw her sticking her nose in my wardrobe!" she exclaimed. And it had been terribly. No matter how fun it was to dress the younger girl up, she despised having to lock her doors every time her sister was home.

"This one is for you and your family, my mother has started sending out invites," Orabelle said with a smile as she gave it to Dani. She couldn't wait till the winter time... "Oh, and it'll be formal," Orabelle added, cringing slightly. She preferred semi-formal but a party was a party and it was all up to her mother.

"I think she'll be inviting a few of them," Orabelle said with a nod of her head. But know her mum, she was probably going to invite Hogwart students as well. "Anyone in particular you want to me see if I can get an invite to?" she asked as she pulled out a fountain pen and a notepad from her bag.

Dani laughed- "Well, if our family is invited then Madeline will be there. She'd love to see Nicolette again I'm sure" she said with a little nod, Maddy was allowed to go to Beauxbatons next year, she was a year younger than Nicolette, but just as nosy and irratating as Nicolette appeared to be to Dani. "Oh, I completely get you. I got my Dad to cast a few charms so she can't go nosying around" she smirked at 'Belle.
"Oh, formal" she smiled- remembering that Orabelle wasn't too fond of completely formal events. "That's a new dress for me then!" she said excitedly, she loved splurging on new dresses! And shoes... and bags... and make up.
Hmm... there's Mollie, Ciara, Arianna and the rest of that lot... maybe some of the guys?" she asked as she took another sip of her water. She knew that 'Belle would want to be selective about the guests she was going to let her Mum invite.

Orabelle giggled. "Your eldest brother is getting a separate invite, according to my mother that is," she added. Oh dear, the thought of Madeline and Nicolette together frightened Belle. "I hope they don't go running around the castle..." she sighed. "Oh, I should've thought of that, but she was young and accidental magic, you know?" Orabelle sighed.

"Obviously, I've already started thinking about it," she beamed. And she had settled on the color already, just not the design. "We should go get our dresses custom made," Orabelle said with a complete look of bliss on her face. Most definitely. That way no one could steal their ideas.

Orabelle scribbled the names down on her pad quickly in her elegant but playful script. "I'll have to think about it of course and my mother will need to approve," Orabelle said with a nod of her head.

Dani nodded and smiled- "Yeah, I know... my Dad's keeping an eye on her. He's been at home a lot more recently I guess. I think he's fed up of all the travelling... because of the whole touring with the band before and then this" she laughed. Her Dad worked for the International part of the Ministry, after he'd quit his music career. It was a good job. But her Dad had missed out on a lot of family life since Dani had been very little.
"Ooooh! Yeah- we do have to get them custom made. Excellent idea!" she nodded as she smiled at 'Belle. "What colour shall I go with? Red?" she asked, red looked so good with her hair and skin tone.
"Of course. It's so exciting- your family's parties are always incredible" she said honestly with a big smile.

Orabelle giggled. "Mum has been home but with all the party planning she hasn't had the time to watch over Nicolette," Orabelle exclaimed. Her daddy was always in his study going over things. Merlin it was hard to make sure her wardrobe was safe. "Traveling... I think I'd like to do that when I grow older," Orabelle sighed. Given, she already traveled loads but to do it after she graduated? That would be amazing.

She nodded. "Definitely, it goes well with you," Orabelle agreed. And long and flowy and beautiful. "I'm thinking blue, silver or white," Orabelle said, "Or a mix of them all with blue as a base," Orabelle said with a smile. She liked wearing blue.

"My mum's brilliant when it comes to that," Orabelle agreed, she hoped that one day she could follow her mother's footsteps and be just as brilliant.

Dani nodded and smiled at 'Belle- "Yeah, me too. I mean, proper traveling- not just going on holidays with my parents" she smirked- "It would be so fun. We should do a trip together some time? That would be amazing" she said with a little nod.
"Aww thanks- yeah, I think I should go with red" she said as she thought about it- she nodded reassuringly at Orabelle- "Yeah, you should so go for that! It would be so pretty!" she said honestly as she sighed and looked around their quite pretty surroundings.
"Yeah, she is!" she nodded as she smiled at Orabelle. "My Mum's planning a few events, so we'll just have to wait and see" she smirked.

Ginny was excited - she had never been to the Greenhouses before. She was happy to have made plans with her friend Hannah to meet here.