Checking out the pitch

[Chace Harker]

Chace was drawn to the Quidditch Pitch for no apparent reason. He could only suppose that it was because he hadn't seen it before, and he was eager to take in all he could of Hogwarts New Zealand. Truthfully, the boy detested flying- after his brother Terrence had knock him off of his broom, he had an intense distrust for both the sport of Quidditch and broomsticks themselves. No, Chace was a person who belonged with his two feet firmly on the ground.

He was better off than he had been last week, when he knew the names of virtually no one. Now, he could put names to faces and even smiled at some of his classmates. He still had a long way to go, but it was a start. The boy was surprised that with as much time he spent in the Slytherin common room, he didn't know many Slytherins.

He jammed his hands in his pockets as he walked about the outskirts of the pitch, craning his neck to look up at the hoops. It was a long way down. The Slytherin boy was not taken by heights and found himself nauseous even in the stands. He was definitely not normal for a wizard his age- most boys he knew, all they wanted to do was fly. Well, if that was the case then he was alright not being normal at all.

 

[Blake Zepline]

Blake had decided on a walk, to no where really. Just a walk to clear his head and take in again, all that was a recognisable home to him, having run away from his mother and now being in a position where he did not altogether trust his biological father anymore. At first Blake was unsure of where his feet were taking him, just letting his eyes wander about freely while his mind spun out of control elsewhere. He was still upset about his biological father's secret, and how he had not had the chance to confront him about it over summer as they had hardly seen much of each other during it.
Only when the house stands came into view, looming above him in the clear sky, did Blake realise where he was. The Quidditch Pitch - his favorite place at Hogwarts. Smiling brightly for no apparent reason, Blake continued forward, a little disappointed that he had not thought to bring his broom stick along with him. Turning to round one of the house stands, Blake caught sight of another lone figure walking just ahead of him, dressed in Slytherin robes and looking to be about his own age. Another transfer? Blake thought as he drew nearer to the bloke.
"Oh it's you!" Blake greeted, falling into step with the familiar looking Slytherin boy whom he could recall meeting in the dorms. "I hope you don't mind if I join you?"

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace spun around as he was addressed, although not by his name. Squinting in the sunlight, he recognized the boy as another from his year, and in his house. He gave a sly smile. "No, I don't mind at all. Blake right?" He hoped to Merlin that he hadn't pronounced the boy's name incorrectly- or even worse, addressed him by a whole different name entirely.

He slipped his hands out of his pockets, letting them hang at his sides. His green eyes flickered in amusement as the boy fell into step with him. Chace had been happy to learn that there was another boy in his year- and a Slytherin boy, no less. He had long since learned that while the population of upperclassmen itself was incredibly dehydrated, the percentage of boys was even more so. The Slytherin boy considered himself fortunate.

 

[Blake Zepline]

"Yep, that would be me!" Blake chuckled. "And you're Chace Harker. I remember now." Blake had been very pleased to learn that Chace was a fourth year, like himself. It was not an understatement when he thought, It's not everyday you meet a guy your age here at Hogwarts. Smiling broadly despite the silence between them now, he tucked a tuft of hair behind his ear, staring at the ground awkwardly.
"So you're from Hogwarts Scotland? How was it like over there? Different from here?" he asked, trying to keep some conversation flowing.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace grinned, snickering, "Yes, Chace Harker it is. You know- when I first came here, I wasn't expecting to see any boys! There are so many girls!" He wasn't entirely sure how to start up a conversation between the two of them despite his excitement at the possibility of having a friend. Considering he could go that far in saying that anyways. Running a hand through his short hair and then stuffing it in the pockets of his robe again, he shook his head. "Well, I went to Hogwarts Scotland for first and second year but then I got homeschooled for third." His expression darkened a bit. "Family business called for it- and my parents weren't about to send me packing to Beauxbatons. Glad I'm out of that though... and yes, entirely different." He shrugged. "I hated it." His expression brightening a little, as out of all things he did not want to be in a sultory mood, he asked, "So, I'm guessing you've been going here all four years?" It was interesting to find out what situations other students had been through. He had even met another transfer the other day but he wasn't entirely sure if he could call the experience pleasant or not.

 

[Blake Zepline]

Blake listened to Chace as he talked of his situation. "You got pulled out of school too, huh?" he asked curiously, having himself been in that position also, yet most likely on different terms. "I started school here, but got pulled out of school also only just before my second semester of my first year-" Pausing uncomfortably, Blake shrugged. Not wanting to get into what had really happened that year, he quickly mumbled in explanation, "-family troubles," before moving back to his original point. "But anyway, I was able to return to Hogwarts New Zealand for my third year, after some great deal of catching up, mind you."

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace nodded, shuddering a bit. "I hated it. It's much more stressful doing schoolwork with your mother hanging over your shoulder constantly." He gave a weak grin, deciding not to push for why Blake had been taken out of school. He caught the word family troubles, and since Blake seemed uncomfortable talking about it he let it drop. "Oh my- that had to be hell," he added, "Considering third year seemed to have the most work of all. You know, you're just getting electives and everything..." Chace thought he had had enough schoolwork beforehand, but then he had to choose at least two electives. Selecting Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, the boy had spent practically all of his third year doing work. "What electives are you taking?" he asked eagerly, hoping that he would have someone he knew in his class.

 

[Blake Zepline]

"I take it your mother is one of the strict ones, no?" Blake asked, not meaning to pry. "My... Cloe was raised rather old fashioned, so she's a strict one too." He never called his mother mother anymore, especially out loud. It was too painful. Quickly changing the subject, he replied, "Oh it was. All the catching up made me anti-social because of all the extra hours I had to take to study. But I'm glad I did it. Otherwise I'd be a third year by now instead. Or worse... a second year." Blake tried not to laugh at that, as he had a friend who had left during her first year also and only recently just returned; now having to be placed in second year despite her age.
Blake reddened at Chace's question, feeling rather nerdy now. "I take three electives actually. Divination, Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes."

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace chuckled a bit as Blake asked him if his mother was strict. "Yes- both of my parents are. My mother especially when it comes to school." He raised an eyebrow as Blake called the woman who he assumed to be his mother Cloe. He wondered exactly what had happened between Blake and his mother for them to be on such a formal basis, but Merlin knew that Chace wasn't going to pry. He laughed. "A second year? How ghastly." He sighed a bit as he brushed at his robes, adding, "Well, I'm glad you're in fourth year. It's good to know there are other blokes around- if only a few." He grinned broadly, noticing that Blake was reddening at the mention of electives. "Wow- good for you! I don't think I could do it myself though. Mother wanted me to take at least three but I managed to negotiate for two." His expression brightened at the other boys choice of electives. "Well, I will be taking Care of Magical Creatures with you! I'm also doing Muggle Studies." In truth he wasn't too enthused with either of his elective classes but if worst came to worst he could always drop them.

 

[Blake Zepline]

"Both of your parents? Wow. I would not dare trying to imagine having another Cloe in my life. Both my fathers were decent men, especially my stepfather; he raised me you see. So I haven't really known my biological father for too long." Blake looked down at his feet, listening to Chace as he spoke of his own electives. "Muggle Studies?" Blake repeated with an edge to his voice. "I don't think I could stand that class. It's not necessarily muggles I don't like, just their mental inventions." Blake remembered the first time he walked down a muggle street and nearly got hit by a stupid thing his stepfather had told him later was a caar. He'd been six years old at the time, and the terrible memory of that day haunted him still.
Pushing the memory to the back of his mind, he let his eyes fall back down to his feet as he walked on the grassy pitch. "So where did you say you were from again?"

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace took a moment to wonder what Blake's family life must be life- being born into the normal family unit, or at least he thought he was, the Slytherin boy could not really grasp the concept of other's lives. With him it had always been strictly his mother, his father, his two brothers and himself. He had been surrounded by this way of life for so long that he was just getting used to the idea of there being different family units. He decided not to comment, seeing as Blake seemed to be getting pretty uncomfortable with the subject as it was. He gave a lilting chuckle. "It's not too bad actually- I've never known anything but the wizarding world, so it is all kind of alien to me. I think I like Muggle Studies because it's different." He smirked. "I know- I don't even know how to operate a fellytone. And I still don't understand how they can talk over devices without magic."

He slowed down his pace a bit, as the rather brisk one he was at was tiring him out. "Me? Oh, Leeds, England- or at least, used to be." He frowned a bit. Moving to New Zealand was still a huge change for him. "Now my family lives in Auckland. Yourself?"

 

[Blake Zepline]

"So you're new to the wizarding world?" Blake asked, surprised. Even though he knew that blood did not really have much to do with sorting, he still assumed that all Slytherins did carry some knowledge about wizarding world, at least. Had Blake any idea what a fellytone was, he would have probably rolled over with laughter. Yet the device was foreign to him, and so he nodded as if to pass off that he had any idea what Chace was talking about.
"England? I have family in somewhere there. I've lived in New Zealand nearly all my life. At the moment I'm living with my biological father somewhere in the continental US." He hoped he sounded clueless as to where exactly Josh lived. He did not want to give away his wanted father's address to anybody because of the severity of consequences it would cost him.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace laughed as Blake asked him if he was new to the wizarding world. "Oh no! I must have worded that wrong," he chuckled, hoping that he didn't sound like too much of a stupid ass. "I mean, my family are all wizards. I don't really know anything about muggles to tell you the truth. Not anything besides what I've learned in muggle studies anyway." He gave him a slight smile. "Yeah, England is nice- but New Zealand is too. I haven't seen a flake of snow since I've been here." The Slytherin boy hated the cold, and while it sometimes got too warm here he rather preferred it. "The United States, huh? I've never been there." He wondered why Blake didn't know where his father was living, but it wasn't in his right to ask, at least he didn't think so.

 

[Blake Zepline]

[Sorry for the long absence. =/ ]

Blake chuckled and nodded when Chace said that all his family are wizards. In a sick way, this information comforted him. "Ha. Yeah, it's always pretty cold here. But you get used to it after a while," Blake said, trying to reassure Chace. "The US is quite a nice place, but it takes a while to get used to the muggle crowds." Blake tried not to grimace at the thought of that.