A Fellow Snake? Well that's something.

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle strode out into the courtyard, her blone hair glinting in the sun. She had modified her uniform slightly, but seeing as it was still decent, and relatively modest, if a bit more fashionable than it used to be, none of the teachers had said anything. she still didn't like wearing it though, and she'd done her hair and make-up well this morning, so that she felt something, at least, was normal. She watched as some baffled third years stared at her. She rolled her eyes as they watched her. Idiots. She was used to stares though, she tended to be noticeable, whether it was her total self-assurance, or the bad vibe she radioed toward most people, no one knew. To be frank, Danielle didn't care. None of these people mattered anyway. Filthy mudbloods, the majority of them, with no wizrding blood to speak of. It was disgusting, that they'd let people like that into a wizarding school. Things were bad in Scotland too, and she only had so many options as to where she could attend. She definetly wasn't going to Beauxbatons, with all those filthy veela-hybrids, or Durmstrang, it was full of ruffians, it lacked any sense of elegance. Anyway, she couldn't leave Danton, and if he was here, here was where she'd stay. She loved her brother, and she needed him.

She stopped around the centre of the courtyard, looking around, nd trying to decide what she wanted to do. she didn;t want to have to han out with any of the third years, they were bound to be idiots, but she was bored, and she needed something to do. she sighed to herself, tapping her foot on the ground, and raising her eyes to the heavens, as she tried to figure out her next move.

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

Shaylah was bored. Simple as. She had been at the school for seven years and had less friends now than when she started. Plus, she was running out of kids to scare. It just seemed like she was doing the same thing day in, day out and there was nothing changing about any of it. Especially her classes. Most of it was easy and boring and the stuff that wasn't easy was hard, boring and annoying. Shay was a smart girl but could never be bothered to learn in classes and usually learnt everything from class by lying in bed reading books.

Shay was currently walking towards the courtyard. At least then she could catch some sun before the summer finished and the sun left for the winter. She stepped outside the doors to the castle and saw a girl a bit younger than her in a slytherin uniform. She'd seen the girl in the common room a few times but didn't know her name. Though, there was nothing wrong with giving a Slytherin the chance to be a friend. Shay looked about the same age as her anyway. She walked over to her and kept a smile on her face to show that she was going to try and be nice. "Carry on tapping your foot like that and you'll end up in England by tomorrow." She held her hand out to the girl but kept her wand near her other hand. After all, she didn't know if this girl was going to accept the hand or completely reject it. "Name's Shaylah."

 

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle just couldn't hack it. At least back home she'd had her groupies, a bunch of b!tchy idiots, most of them were obsessed with her brother, but here.. Here, the majority of the slytherins weren't real Slytherins at all, they were friends with Gryffindors for Christ's sake! She continued tapping her footm and looing around the courtyard. Maybe there were some first years hanging around-that could be fun. Then, her thoughts were interrupted by another voice. She smile at the comment, a rare event. Then turned to see the girl. She was a fellow snake, which was good. "Would that I could, would that I could." she replied, grinning. She missed England, especially the shopping.

She took the girls outstretched hand. "Danielle Howard, nice to meet you." she replied, shaking her hand firmly. She'd seen her before, but they'd never talked. "This place is dead-there's nothing to do." she commented, looking around. Her foot-tapping had ceased, but she still felt that the school was uncommonly quiet. Not a reassuring thought.

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

Shaylah let her hand fall away from her wand, feeling that this girl was harmless and wasn't going to do anything to her. Well, harmless to a fellow Slytherin anyway. She couldn't say how she'd react to a student from a different house talking to her. Shay nodded in agreement about the girl's comment. "You and I both." Shay thought for a second. "Kind of anyway. I love Scotland." That's where she'd grown up. Only moved to New Zealand a few years before she started at Hogwarts. That's when everything went down hill very quickly. She just wished she could turn back time and persuade her dad to stay in Scotland. That way she could have gone to Hogwarts Scotland. Instead she was stuck alone in New Zealand with no family except her cats and owl.

Shaylah smiled and replied "You too." She lowered her hand and looked around the courtyard when Danielle spoke of her boredom. "I know the feeling. Everyone's away for christmas. Not that it would make much difference to me anyway. They're all a bunch of weirdos that shouldn't be allowed in a school like this. Hogwarts Scotland started off as an amazing school for witches and wizards and it's all gone down hill over the years. Then it got worse when this place was built." Shay realised she was babbling and stopped talking. "What are you doing out here anyway??" It was better than babbling.

 

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle smiled at her response. She didn't like acting so prissy all the time, but it was what was expected in most circles. She let her shoulders relax, and placed her hand on her hip. "London for me, though I could do without a few of the relatives." she grinned, she loved London, aside from the weather, it was bustling and busy, even if it was filled with filthy muggles. It was a centre of fashion, and drama, and she loved it. she liked New Zealand, liked the fact that her accent stuck out here, and her pearly white skin, but it was boring, and the majority of the people were somewhat lacking of a brain.

"My sentiments exactly." Danielle nodded, delighted tha someone shared her point of view. "I mean, they let any old rabble in there now, it's full of mudbloods. I mean, they have no wizarding blood in them. Half-bloods, and even veelas-they have wizarding blood in them, they're fine, but otherwise...I mean, the Gryffindors and Slytherins get along for Christ's sake!" she vented, it was one of her biggest annoyances. The filth that was taking over the wizarding world. "The Common room is full of giggling First Years, I had to leave, before I said something..untoward." she explained, in reality, she'd probably have left the common room full of crying First Years, instead of giggling ones.

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

Shay heard Danielle mention London and started to remember some of the times she'd spent there. "I love London. It's an amazing place to be. I went there loads of times with my dad and had a great time." No matter how much she loved London, Scotland was always her heart and soul. "Scotland's my home though. As much as I love London and how beautiful it is, I still think of Scotland as the place I grew up and had a life in." And Shay meant that more than anyone else could ever understand or know. At least then her and her father had time together. She hadn't seen him since she was eleven.

Shay was glad this girl shared her thoughts on the school. At least they'd found a common interest which was good for her as she never usually gave people a chance to find an interest they shared. "The only reason I came here was because my dad went to Hogwarts Scotland and was a Slytherin. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and so did I but he'd heard loads of good things from this place and wanted to see what it was like." Of course, that never really happened much and it wasn't going to. Shaylah frowned at what Danielle said. "That hat is losing whatever it calls its mind. There is no way some of these kids are worthy of the status of a Slytherin. They have nothing to their name and don't do anything to prove themselves worthy. It drives me insane." There were too many people being told they were Slytherins that Shay could easily put in one of the less worthy houses.

 

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle smiled as Shaylah praised her city, for that was how she thought of London. It was her city. "It's the same for me, I like New Zealand, well, I like the weather, and there are so many places that I want to go, but London is home. It's part of my life." she replied. she loved London, she felt better there. She was always in a better mood in London. Even if Danton was nagging her, she could just head out into the city and forget all that. She loved her brother, but he tried to act so grown up and responsible, he just needed to chill out.

"I heard the same, it's part of why we moved from Scotland, part of me wishes we'd stayed, I mean-things were bad there, but at least we'd already established ourselves in Scotland, now the family is all broken up, since my brother went to Durmstrang." she explained, she didn'y particularly miss Devlin, but it was weird not having him around. She nodded, agreeing with Shaylah's statement. "I know, I mean some of them are so...I don't know. they're a bit..too much like Hufflepuff's if you get me." she replied, laughing slightly. Hufflepuff was a joke, in her opinion. All the rejects were put there, the one's without any actual personality.

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

"That's where I'd beg to differ slightly." Shay had nothing against Slytherin, she just hated the way things had turned out here. "I think New Zealand is a beautiful place and there's always places to visit when you're not stuck in this place. I just don't like what's happened to my life since moving here. I had a good life in Scotland. Not perfect but I liked it." Life had never been perfect for her as she'd never had any friends in Scotland except her dog, owl and her dad. "Since moving to New Zealand, everything's changed." She knew she couldn't be a child about it any more as she was nearly an adult but there were times when she thought her childhood seemed loads easier. Less stressful.

Shay agreed with Danielle. "Yeah, I get you. I really don't understand the point in hufflepuff. If people are so plain and boring that they have to be put in a house of rejects then what's the point in them being here. It's not like they're going to get anywhere in their lives." Shay knew that people were more likely to get a job if they were interesting and had something to amaze the employers with. Hufflepuffs were way too bland to amaze anyone. "As much as I hate Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, at least they can make themselves useful sometimes." There was no way she would ever make friends with any of them any more. She'd made that mistake and wasn't going to do it again. She just knew that she could make a use of them at times.

 

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle's brow creased as Shaylah talked, so it wasn't the school she didn't like, it was the way things had gone. "You're right, the school is okay, it's better than most." she replied. She couldn't imagine what could've happened to Shaylah since she moved here, that could make her wish her life so different. "It's a shame things can't be changed, that event could have been prevented." she replied, she had regrets, things she wished hadn't happened. Dakota getting pregnant, her parent's leaving them alone. It seemed as though Shaylah had regrets also.

"I know, the Hufflepuffs are like doormats, I mean even in a few of the hat's songs it's said that after all the other founders had said what they wanted, Helga Hufflepuff said "I'll take the rest." I mean, who would ever want to be branded as one of the rest?" she asked, Hufflepuff was a rubbish house. "If I'd been put in Hufflepuff, I would've transferred straight away." she added, looking Shaylah in th eye-completely serious. "Exactly-even if they're complete idiots, they have at least got a peronality." she replied, shocked that she could find anything redeeming about Gryffindor. They were a bunch of reckless losers.

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

Shaylah shrugged slightly. "Well, you would never see me act like anyone at Beauxbatons and I'd never be as rugged as any of the Durmstrangs but I can think if many improvements for this place. I'd never say it was amazing here but it's the best we're going to get." Shay kind of felt a slight bit of trust when Danielle started talking about things being prevented. Then she brought herself back together and remembered that she barely knew this girl. There was no way she was going to trust someone she'd just met. She wasn't that stupid. "I wish. Things would be so much easier if they had been." For starters, Shay wouldn't be living in the half way house. At least she still had her pets and house elf. Made it a bit easier for her to get things done.

"What do you mean like doormats?? They are doormats." Shay laughed. "Might as well be anyway. They're as useful as one." Seeing as she never used doormats because she used magic on her shoes to keep them clean, this made them very non-useful. Shay shook her head. "If I'd been put in any other house than Slytherin then I'd be out of here before you could say Merlin's beard." Her dad had always said he'd be fine if she didn't get into Slytherin but she wouldn't be. She wanted to be just like him and that meant being in Slytherin. She didn't care what it took.

 

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle agreed with Shaylah completely. "Definetly, they let people in here, who have no clue how to conduct themselves." she replied; "I mean, a teacher died last year, it doesn't say much for the security here." , she hadn't been particularly fond of said teacher, filthy half-giant that he was. Still, if there was a danger to him, there was a danger to the students. Danielle smiled slightly at the girl's comment. She had let herself slip there, she usually wasn't open, perhaps the start of a new year was making her emotional or some other rubbish like that. Danielle was never emotional, unless she was angry.

Danielle laughed at Shayah's comment. The Hufflepuff's were complete pushovers. They were more like house-elves than wizards. It was a sham that they were let into the school in the first place. "I'm pretty much the same, though Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. My whole family has been in Slytherin, I was pretty sure I'd get in." she replied, then realising her mistak, she added; "Except for my cousin Casper, but I hardly count him as family anymore." it was a shame, she'd gotten along quite well with her cousins when they were younger, but now one was a muggle-lover, or as good as, and the other was stealing her brother away.

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

Shaylah had completely forgotten about the dead half breed. She had never cared about him when he was alive so she didn't know why she should ever care when he died. Though, Danielle did have a point. If things had happened differently that night then it could have been a student killed. "I guess the school was lucky it was a teacher. If a student had died then there would be problems. Especially if the students a Slytherin. The parents of the good Slytherins are all in high up places." Her dad had been. He worked for the ministry and was a death eater. If something had happened to Shay when he was around then the school wouldn't forget it.

Shay nodded. "Same here. I don't know anyone in my family who hasn't been a Slytherin. Dad says there's been a few people gone astray in the past but they were disowned the minute news got out." She shrugged as she thought about how both her parents and her dad's parents were all in Slytherin. She could never see anyway she wasn't going to be one. "We don't like having scum in the family and anyone with the name Rouge who claims to be anything other than a Slytherin doesn't deserve the privileges." Though, as far as Shay knew, her and Jay were the only remaining Rouges. Obviously there was her mum but Shay didn't want anything to do with the woman. She didn't think at all like a Rouge, especially seeing as she abandoned Shay in New Zealand.

 

[Danielle Raven]

Danielle nodded, smiling. If any member of her family were hurt, the Howards would rain down on them in an avalanche of pain. They would completely deserve it. "Exactly. It was the idiots own fault that he was killed though. In my opinion, they should just get rid of the subject completely." she sneered. She hated Care of Magical Creatures. It was a waste of time. The loss of that Giant-hybrid wasn't exactly a bad thing. She had never even stooped to acknowledge that he was a teacher.

"Exactly the way things should be." she agreed. She felt Casper should've been disowned immediately, but her cousins had disagreed. He was an interloper. He didn't belong with them. "I feel the same. My Cousin shames us-walking with mudbloods, but his sister is reluctant to drop him." she replied, her brow creased. "It's very irritating." She turned to face the sunloght, her eyes shining in the light. She liked hogwarts. They could do with weaning out a few of the weeds-ie:mudbloods, but otherwise... It was okay. At least she was with Danton here. Back home he spent all his time at Huberta's manor. She could keep an eye on him here. The same couldn't be said for Dorothy. She hadn't seen her in weeks.

Out of Character:

Sorry for uber-late reply :/

 

[Shaylah Rouge]

Shaylah didn't agree with that part. "Personally, I like the subject. It just needs a better teacher. All the teachers we've had so far have been rubbish. I also think eye should be allowed to chose what subjects we do and don't do. Then I could do Care of Magical Creatures and you wouldn't have to." Shay knew there were loads of people who hated doing Care of Magical Creatures. She'd always loved animals so she enjoyed the subject but she didn't like watching people have to sit through boredom. She knew exactly how they felt. After all, she'd had to do it for years with Muggle Studies and Divination.

Shay sighed. "I suppose some people don't understand when they should let people go and realise that they're not worth it. All your cousin needs is a kick in the right direction and she'll realise that she's being stupid holding on to someone who likes scum. Then she'll be right by your side apologising and hoping you'll forgive her for being stupid." Shay didn't know how Danielle felt about her cousin. She guessed the girl was perfectly decent or Danielle probably wouldn't like her as she seemed to be worthy of Shay's friendship. She knew for a fact that some people needed a shove in the right direction. She was one person who had realised it at an early point.