Brighter Day

[Patrick Vernier]

Patrick had quite a relaxing holiday in between his second and third year. But now that he was back at school and taking more subjects, he was feeling quite nervous for what was ahead. He wasn't confident with the new subjects that he had picked, but he hoped that he could get all of the help that he needed to be able to pass all of his subjects, especially considering they would all be very content-based. After all, he did well with his subjects last year and he just wished he was able to keep up the good work.

One thing Patrick missed whilst not at Hogwarts was definitely the food that the house elves made. The boy made sure to get up on time so he could eat some breakfast that morning, knowing that it was the most important meal of the day and he could not miss it. As he made his way to the Great Hall he noticed that there were already a lot of people there, and so he quickly made his way over to the Hufflepuff table, beaming when he saw Gabriella for the first time since last year. The boy had quite enjoyed talking to his friend, and so made sure to make his way over there. "Hey Gabriella." he greeted her with a smile, taking a seat beside her. "How were your holidays?"

 

[Gabriella Tillington]

As usual, Gabriella had spent the holidays with her father. During the summer, it was just the two of them in their London apartment. He still kept busy even without classes to teach, but Gabriella was used to being on her own. It was just that since she had met Frankie here at Hogwarts, she couldn't help wondering what it would be like to visit her sister and mother in America. The thought had occupied her brain more than she would have liked during the holidays, though she hadn't told her father about it. Expressing desire to stay with her mother, even just for the holidays, seemed almost like a betrayal. Perhaps a letter to her mother would be the first step, but she had no idea what she would write to the woman she hadn't seen since she was two.

At breakfast, these thoughts were crowding in despite Gabriella's best tries to block them out. She had her new Muggle studies book open and propped up against a jug of pumpkin juice, trying to read a bit about what they would be learning in that elective. She looked up as someone sat next to her, glad to see it was someone she knew. Patrick was very nice, and she definitely thought of him as a friend. "Good morning Patrick. They were nice, thank you." She said as she closed the book. It would be rude to keep reading with someone here that seemed to want to talk to her. "How were yours? It is nice to see you again." Even with her friends, Gabriella's speech was usually fairly formal, which she hoped Patrick wouldn't misread as her not being interested in talking to him. She gave the boy a small smile to appear more friendly.