Ian found his way onto the train. He looked back at Hogsmeade and prepared himself for a ride to London wondering if any one would join him. He knew that he had made some acquaintances after the disaster of this beginning of the term. He just didn't know who was his friend anymore. He settled into a seat near the door with no desire to look out the window and opened his book.

Gabriel had been to the back of the train....and after a brief conversation....had made his way towards the middle. There seemed to be less people milling about here...and more room for privacy. Gabe, who could never have been called a social guy, wanted to continue on with his solitude.

OWLs were over. He needed to reflect.

.......AND.....he needed to write a letter to his sister. He wouldn't be home long enough to properly speak to her.

Isla had been rushing through the train, hitting a few first years on accident, all the while looking at her notebook in front of her. She was trying to get everything sorted out for Ceorlic's surprise party and she needed to get to work right as she got home.

She continued striding through, her eyes planted on her notebook, when she bumped into someone and fell down to the ground. "Ouuuch." She groaned, making sure her notebook was okay and then she looked up at the person she bumped into. Gabe. She wanted to scowl at him and blame him for useless things that he didn't do, but she remembered that she needed to be nice to him....at least until after the party. Because she had to invite Gabe to Ceo's party since they were best friends or whatever it was.

She smiled really big and grabbed her notebook and stood up. "Hey...don't worry about it, really. You look...nice today, by the way." Cue inward disgusted face.

.

.

.

One moment, Gabriel was opening the door to an empty compartment, and the next, somebody had tackled him to the ground. That was an exaggeration, of course...but the person...whomever it was, had hit him hard....So much so, that he'd nearly lost what little balance he did have.

SQUINT. Isla.

The things.....Gabe wanted to say to this girl.

Hello, psycho harpy. Still got your hooks in my friend?

It was RIGHT ON THE TIP OF HIS TONGUE...All he had to do was open his mouth and it'd be put out into the world...Verbally smacking her in the face. The thing was, though....that....Well, what would CB have said? If she'd seen this?

It was weird caring about what a girl thought. Gabe didn't think he'd ever get used to it....

"Isla." The disgust was barely contained. ".........I....." SQUINTING MOAR. ".....I like your notebook."

That was all she was getting.

Isla stared at Gabe for a couple of seconds, not believing what she just heard. He liked her...notebook? She looked down at her notebook and then quickly pulled it close to her that way he wouldn't see anymore of it. He couldn't know what was going on in the party...but then again, he was Ceo's best friend. She was fighting a battle in her head right now.

"...Thanks." Awkward silence.

She looked around them and thinking that she saw Ceorlic, she quickly ran into the compartment Gabe was going into and she pulled his hand, with a 'ewIjusttouchedhim' look. "Hurry!" She said, closing the door behind them and sitting down.

Having already stashed their luggage, Kenzie Black and Ana Konstantinova walked through the train towards the back of the train. However, hearing the noise eminating up the corridor they looked at each other, shook their heads and moved into the closest empty compartment. Closing the door behind them, they giggled as they sighed happily at the silence.

It wasn't that they disliked people you see, it was just that at times people could be annoying.

And now was one of those times for Kenzie. This was her last train ride home and she wanted to spend it with her best friend. She didn't know why anyone wouldn't understand that. Honestly - it seemed perfectly logical to her.

"I think I'm going to have a few weeks holiday before I start looking and applying for jobs." The Irish girl said to Ana, crossing one leg elegantly over the other as she leant partly against the window, and partly against the cushioned chair back. "What about you, Ana? Are you planning on catching up with your clan of a family before laying down roots?".

She had thought her family was big but there had been no competition that Ana's was bigger. Not once Kenzie had realised how close their extended family still were. It was nice really, she loved family. Though, really having six younger siblings under four wasn't really what she considered fun. Two of those, being twins who were only a few weeks old at the moment. She liked children, honest - but that many very small children was pushing it a little bit.

This. Was. Painful.

Gabriel gave the girl a hateful look....BUT THEN A STARTLED ONE BECAUSE LSKJDFLKSJLFS WHY WAS SHE TOUCHING HIM?!?! Jerking his hand away, he stumbled backwards; somehow managing to fall INTO the compartment. The best part about this......was that he HADN'T bashed his head on the edge of a seat.

"What......" Gabriel was trying to right himself, clutching onto said seat. He wasn't comfortable AT ALL with GIRL TOUCH.....and the fact that it was ISLA....He cringed. "......What are you doing?"

There wasn't even any stuttering. That's how over it Gabe was.

Isla felt Gabe let go and she watched in amusement as he fell into the compartment. "Well that was dramatic." She said, shaking her head at him. Sure she didn't like touching him either but she wouldn't go to that extent. She wasn't that scary was she?

"Don't get too excited, Gabriel. I don't like you like that." She rolled her eyes. She checked out the window of the door really quickly to make sure Ceorlic wasn't around and then sat back down. "I thought I saw Ceo...I'm not trying to avoid him. Not really. I just...I have to keep something from him and I need to talk to you about it." She nodded, looking down at the notebook and then back to Gabe.

Uh......

UHHHHHH!!

Gabriel had PLENTY to say to that...but held his tongue. Isla wouldn't get the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him....or him debunking all her illogical comments. What Ceorlic seen in her....Gabe would never get it.

Yea, he wasn't taking his eyes off crazy-pants. She couldn't be trusted.

Pulling himself up onto the seat, Gabe squinted a bit more. ".............." She could start talking. He wasn't blinking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiro MacMhuirich

Having already stashed their luggage, Kenzie Black and Ana Konstantinova walked through the train towards the back of the train. However, hearing the noise eminating up the corridor they looked at each other, shook their heads and moved into the closest empty compartment. Closing the door behind them, they giggled as they sighed happily at the silence.

It wasn't that they disliked people you see, it was just that at times people could be annoying.

And now was one of those times for Kenzie. This was her last train ride home and she wanted to spend it with her best friend. She didn't know why anyone wouldn't understand that. Honestly - it seemed perfectly logical to her.

"I think I'm going to have a few weeks holiday before I start looking and applying for jobs." The Irish girl said to Ana, crossing one leg elegantly over the other as she leant partly against the window, and partly against the cushioned chair back. "What about you, Ana? Are you planning on catching up with your clan of a family before laying down roots?".

She had thought her family was big but there had been no competition that Ana's was bigger. Not once Kenzie had realised how close their extended family still were. It was nice really, she loved family. Though, really having six younger siblings under four wasn't really what she considered fun. Two of those, being twins who were only a few weeks old at the moment. She liked children, honest - but that many very small children was pushing it a little bit.

Anastasia generally didn't care where she sat on the train as long as there was an empty carriage. But Kenzie had mentioned wanting to sit up the back so she was following her there. At least she was until she heard all the ruckus up ahead. Looking back at Kenzie, she nodded slightly to indicate that yes they were thinking the same thing and should simply find the nearest empty carriage and ignore everything else.

The previous two years Ana had spent the majority of her time on the train with Terry, or even Lux, but this year, their final year, she was spending with her best friend. They had plans to make for the Summer after all.

"I'm definitely going to see my family. I'm going to stay with Sasha and the kids for a few days and try to catch up with everyone. But I think I'm mostly staying with Mitya in London until I can find a place I like. Either way seeing Terry will be my first stop," Ana mused, smiling fondly at the thought of her boyfriend. His internships were going well but she knew that he'd been driven mad by his mum and her campaign to be Minister.

Crossing her legs Ana looked out the window for a few moments before turning back to Kenzie. "Y'know everyone always told me I'd miss Hogwarts when it was time to leave but I don't. I'll miss the people, but then most of them graduated last year, but not the school." Maybe it was because as much as Ana had fought her parents when it came to staying at Hogwarts after fifth year that was because it had never really felt like home. She'd changed schools so much that she never really got attached to the place and Hogwarts had been the first school since Durmstrang where she'd even allowed herself to get attached to the people.

Isla expected a smart remark to come out of Gabe's mouth but...nothing. Absolutely nothing. She raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. Both of them were acting weird today apparently. Or maybe he was just caught off guard from her...niceness.

She squinted back at him and then looked back down at her notebook. "I need you to keep this a secret and if you don't...stuff will happen." She nodded. She didn't actually have a threat but c'mon she wasn't that mean. "So since Ceo is your best friend and he's my boyfriend," She had to rub that in a little more, "I thought I'd throw him a surprise birthday party. But I need your help."

McKenzie knew how that was, she couldn't wait to get home but really the idea of so many kids were making her want to find her own flat as quickly as possible... Though she did need to figure out where she wanted to work first. She still didn't know if she wanted to stay close to home in Ireland or if mainland Britain was close enough. She'd figure it out at some point she was sure.

"How is Sasha getting on with the kids?" She asked, running her fingers through her ponytail. The one time the brunette had met Sasha, he and his dance partner Toriya had been at a European Ballroom Final at Blackpool and she had gone along to keep Ana company for the day. They seemed to like him from what Ana had told her over the past few years, but it was always nice to check. Not that she would have bothered if she didn't adore Ana... but that was another matter altogether.

Awww, Mitya. McKenzie liked Mitya, he always seemed to nice and down to earth and knowledgeable.... Kenzie didn't know how he could speak so many languages. She struggled with English at times, (though this probably was due to it being her second language) especially if she was excited, but that was more because her brain couldn't keep up not because she didn't know what she wanted to say. Oh the hardship of a hyper brain. Though her Dad had taught her the basics of French in the years before she had joined Hogwarts. She smirked a little at her own thoughts and grinned at Ana. "I'll make sure to come visit while Mitya is around so I can say hello." What? He was cute! Well, he was, but he also wasn't her type. Heh, darn.

"Yes, I agree that Terry is an excellent first stop." Kenzie said with a grin and a mischievous wiggle of her eyebrow. She, on the other hand needed to go see her parents and siblings. Urgh. Ah well, she was sure they were all much cuter now than when she had left them after Christmas. They had to be in six months, right? Though the new twins... she was excited to meet them for the first time. She would be lying if she said other wise.

"I don't think I will, really. I'll see you still, and the others." Kenzie shrugged her shoulder a little as she thought about the Castle she was leaving behind. "I had Uncle Dash and Kyroh there... but it was never home for me either." She smiled at Ana, knowing what she was trying to get to. "It's time to make our own homes and get on with being adults now!" She said, excited. "And the festival!" She said with a grin. "I can't wait for the Festival. It's going to be amazing."

Ana tilted her head to the side slightly as she thought about how to answer the question. "He's struggling. He'd never say it but I can tell. When Iacov was alive everything was fine. Or at least, mostly fine. Now though..." Ana trailed off with a sigh, thinking about how tired Sasha had looked the last time they'd spoken. They're good kids. Even I adore them, but being a single parent wasn't in the plan. Sasha was barely coping for a while there. He's better now, much better and the kids help with that. I think they remind him that despite all the death there's still light in the world and people that need him. And they do need him. Seeing them interact it's clear that the adoration goes both ways. But then he's been a parental figure to them for most of their lives. The majority of the struggle I think comes from him trying to balance a demanding work schedule with raising them," she told Kenzie, a slightly sad smile marring her features. Her heart still ached for Sasha whenever he sent her pictures of him with the children, wrote letters or had time to actually talk.

"How are the twins?" Ana asked, figuring that they should move on to a slightly more happy topic. If not for the fact that she and Kenzie were friends she wouldn't even care about the answer, as it was she did care and she knew how much her friend adored her younger siblings. She also knew how much she was dying to meet the twins she'd only heard about for the first time.

"Kenzie," Ana gasped in mock outrage, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. She mostly found it amusing that Kenzie found Mitya attractive, knowing that nothing would ever come of it. "He's much too old for you. Besides, he has a girlfriend now. Apparently. Or at least I think she's his girlfriend? Might just be a friend. But if she is an actual girlfriend she might not appreciate you ogling him to death." Not that Mitya had minded. He'd always been kind to Kenzie when she'd come over to meet with Ana and Ana truthfully figured that he was more amused and flattered by it than anything else.

"He definitely is. I haven't seen him since we got to go to Hogsmeade," Ana recalled with a pout. Even her correspondence with her boyfriend had been infrequent what with him having to focus on his internships and Ana having to focus on passing her NEWTs. Now that she'd graduated it would also be time to talk to him about the future. Not any conversations that were too serious, but she did need to speak to him about her plans for the future. The fact that she also intended to stay in the UK was something she knew he'd be happy to hear since the last time they'd spoken about it Ana had been undecided.

Adults? Ana felt like she'd been making adult decisions since she'd turned seventeen last year. She'd already been living by herself, having decided to move into the house her father had left her, and been seeing to her funds. Not that they needed much seeing to if she was being honest. Bottom line was she had enough money to never have to work a day in her life and that would only be added to as time went on.

"I'm looking for places at the moment. Not sure what choices I'm going to make though. I want to maybe talk it over with Terry, and I also don't think I want to live by myself." All the years of boarding school and the fact that she had a large and close family meant that while Ana sometimes craved solitude she'd never actually had to be on her own.

"I'm so psyched for it. Did I tell you my brothers friend Tima is going to be playing? He's like brilliant and everyone is going to try and be there to support him!"