Christmas Alone Again

[Zahna Kawamura]

Zahna knew that every year, her family wouldn't return home like most. Ever since her oldest brothers had started school, Christmas was no longer a family tradition. Instead, each sibling would do their own thing. Zahna herself normally spent it in the library, however this year she was keen to do something a little different.

Her sister, Olathia, was away with the cousins, and her brothers were away on "duty". Zahna had decided once again to stay at the school, although planned to do a suprize for each of her friends. She couldn't say she had many With her family background she was more or less forced to do what everyone else did, but deep in her heart she wanted to make something of herself, and no matter what anyone else said, the grades were important. The world isn't about murdering everyone these days.

She was sitting on one of the quidditch podeums, her cold air blowing around her light brown hair. In her arms she had her diary, where she was scribbling out each idea for those she wanted to surprize. She was half-watching the qudditch practises. She'd always longed to be on the actual team, but had never been brave enough to try-out. Naturally, she hadn't mentioned this to anyone, through fear of being ridiculed..

 

[Grae Kanu]

It was another freezing winter's day in the cold place Durmstrang was situated. There was a cold air, and the sun would not be up for long. It was just another normal day in winter for those that attended the school of Durmstrang. It was a usual day, there wasn't much time before this durmstrang boy would be returning to Germany for the holidays. There had just been a lot of practicing to do before everyone left. It was why he was once again on the pitch and very much ready to continue playing. Long after the sun would set. Long after most others were attending dinner, would still be the time set aside so that practice could be done. Not that there was much complaint, as a team they had never been better. There was no denying the fact that together, and well practiced it was a team that was close to invincible. It wasn't like one player was better than the rest. They all seemed to complement each other. So much so that it just seemed to fit. Like an orchestra, preforming. Everyone completely in tune with little room for mistakes. This was his orchestra. The cold, or the snow were no match for a team that worked well together. It was just how it worked. But, It seemed to him that this team needed all the practice they could. To really fine tune everything. To really show the rest of the school who was best. This was the only sport that Grae took part in. Took part in, in the sense that he didn't back down at the slightest hint of people. It was a team sport, and Grae had taken most by surprise by being not only the best keeper but also proving that he was a team player. The distance that Grae put between himself and all those around him, wasn't because he was a mean person. Or that he hated people. Just that he'd never seen the point. These people were his friends on the pitch, but outside of the pitch, they weren't. They would help him, if he needed it, and the same was for him. He would help them. But, their was little if any conversation and he kept generally to places they wouldn't go, and Grae just had the kind of air about him that told others to just leave him alone. It wasn't a good air, and it was an air, most worked hard to achieve. But Grae found it fairly easy. He just didn't talk to people. He just ignored them. And stuck to the corner. This was what gave off that air. Obviously he had never made any attempts to change that air, but no one else cared. So he didn't. It wasn't like it had in any way deeply affected him. Grae was unlike most in the way, that he was prefectly happy with being pretty much alone.

There wasn't much practicing left to be done. The chasers and the beaters were doing a number of excerise that did not actually require the keeper or the seeker. After a while of just hovering in the air at the golden hoops, he'd grown pretty bored and the broom was growing uncomfortable. He took the opportunity to fly to one of the stands and just watched what was happening in front of him. It was just as good to watch the matches as it was to play in them. That was what Grae believed. Quidditch was the only thing he really did apart from study and since his arrival at Durmstrang there had been nothing he'd liked doing more than playing quidditch. It was the sport that just made him smile at the thought. The thought of flying and just letting the cold wind brush against him. The ultimate freedom. The ultimate fun. The only way in which Grae felt well and truly free. Because in all other contexts he just felt like he was running around in a pen. On the pitch, flying, he was untouchable. People cared little for who he was outside the pitch, while playing he was watched by so many. It was the most amazing feeling. It was one he really did wish to continue. If he didn't play professionally, it did matter. But, no matter what he had to play a little. Just a little to add to what else he was doing. Whatever line of employment he went into. Something that was shady to say the least. It wasn't like he didn't like school, but nothing had taken his fancy. Nothing called to him. Nothing like the sport of quidditch. But it was still early days. It would be a while until he actually had to make any decisions. The bright blue eyes, looked around the stands, and noticed a girl sitting not to far away. Clearly writing and half watching the practice. He smiled at her, and gave a small wave. It wasn't really an invitation for her to join him, but to most it would seem like an invitation. He returned his eyes to the pitch, and phased the girl out of his brain. Despite how pretty she had been. And how it would be good for a little company on this cold day. ​

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[Zahna Kawamura]

As one of the babies of the family, Zahna had often had to find things to entertain herself, rather than relying on others to give her some sort of freedom from the world around her. She had filled many books over the years, and the one that now lay in her lap was getting to the stage where it would be stacked with the rest, for it's spine was begining to come apart. She had drawn what she'd seen. The quidditch pitch, each team member, and one small boy in the distance waving at her.

When she had noticed she'd smiled, giving a shy wave back. It wasn't like Zahna to get involved in things that wern't her buisness, and afterwards she realized he may have been waving at someone else anyway. She even took a peek behind her, to see if anyone else was there, however no, the boy must have been waving at her. She smiled to herself at the thought, and looked down to her book to avoid giving out an awequad stare. The cold air around her make her shiver, as she pulled her coat and scarf closer to her body, before decided she'd need to move to get warmer.

Putting her book and quill into her bag, she stood up, and began to walk along the stands, every so often turning back to watch how the game was going. To anyone watching, it may have looked as though she was about to leave, however Zahna was actually trying to make her way round to the boy. She wasn't the most outgoing of students, however telling herself she was a prefect boosted her confidence enough to talk to people, and besides, she needed to make more friends so what was the harm in trying?

As she made her way round, she eventually came close enough to him that should she talk, the chances were he'd actually hear her. She took a glance at him again, realizing he was even better looking once she'd got closer. Whether they'd get on or not was another matter though. This wasn't the first time she'd seen him try-out, for she'd been watching the team's pratice sessions for many terms, and could see the developments of the team. "You're the keeper arn't you?" she asked, her accent thick German. Her family were part japanese too, however living in Germany for most of her life had had impact on her speech. Of all her family, it was Zahna and her younger brother Egan that developed the German side, whereas the rest of them were dominatly Japanese. She'd decided to play ignorant and innocent for the purpose of the convosation. She knew he did perfectly well, but thought it only polite to let him talk about himself.

 

[Grae Kanu]

If he'd been living in the muggle world, there was a part of the durmstrang that knew he'd end up in some dead beat career, with something to do with society as a degree and lost dreams on the back burner, to forever remain in place. It wasn't going to be something that would ever happen. But, living in the muggle world was a lot more tricky, or so Grae found than living in the wizarding world. For one thing, there were a lot less wizards and witches than there were muggles. And though this lead to the blood statuses being formed he couldn't help but think that being a wizard would always be better than muggle. Wizarding medicine for one thing was pretty epic compared to that of muggles. It was something that Grae had always thought the wizarding world should share, but abuse of the powers that were present in the few, were what awaited them if they did. The slow decay of time was apartent on all of Grae's family. And at 15, it was difficult for the boy to really comprehend that in under a few years time, it would just be him. His mother got crazier by the day. He knew it was because they were putting something in her, that wasn't working with her mind. But, it also didn't help that she was suffering memory loss. His grandparents on the other hand, the ones that had raised him were really just feeling the effects of old age. There was nothing that could be done about that, and it was a burning feeling within the golden blonde, that it wouldn't be long. Depressing thought were filling a head. This tended to happen when there was little else to think about. The game was interesting enough, but he knew the ways of his team. He knew how the chasers passed, and how the beaters managed to have close to perfect aim. It was still good to watch. But, the mind was not all in the same place. A common side effect found when watching something happen over and over. But he had to still be there. With the team, because that was what they were. He hated saying that they were a team, as much as he loved being in it. Saying over and over that they were a team, sounded like he was desperate for company, for friends. When the contrary was in fact true. As odd as it sounded, the durmstrang 5th year had no desire to change his ways. Although not common practice, at 15, their was little doubt in the durmstrang's mind that friends and socialising came almost last. Before, was family, school, homework, jobs, sports. Everything could be traced back to being better and more benefical than being bogged down in potientially unreliable people.

Even though the bright blue eyes of the durmstrang boy were fixed a head of him, he became vaguely aware that someone was moving towards him. He figured it was probably the girl, the one he'd made the mistake of waving to, but she had been pretty. Gorgeous even, not that Grae Kanu had actually been looking. He didn't bother looking round, not even when she sat down next to him. He didn't bother to tell her to clear off, there was no harm in sitting next to her. There could be no harm. It was just a seat. As she spoke, the German accent rang upon the cold morning air. At this point he glanced round, the light blue eyes of the boy taking in the girl now with him. She was most definitely pretty, and by the sounds of it German. It meant a small smile spread across the Durmstrang's face, as he looked back round at the pitch. He did not answer her question, or make any notion that he'd even taken in what she'd said. It wasn't that he hadn't heard or misunderstood, just that he thought it pointless to have any form of conversation with the girl. He didn't think that she would want to still speak to him after the holiday's passed, so, he was just of the opinion that he shouldn't bother. Grae Kanu was of this line of though during most days, it was not explicitly for her, though the German accent made him actually want to speak to her. Say a few more words than would normally be spoken. "Yes" Came the voice of the boy. Speaking in German, without even throwing the slightest of glances back to her. He had never seen her on the pitch. And while Grae did not know that much, he still was aware of who was a player and who was not. And from what the 5th year could recall she was not. He was aware he could be wrong, Grae paid very little attention to anything other than school work and his own quidditch. "Do you play?" Again spoken in German, although this time, Grae dragged his eyes away from the pitch and for a brief second met the girl's and then the eyes returned to the play in front of him, if it seemed like he wasn't interested in an answer it wasn't true, but if they girl thought he wasn't, he would not stop her from leaving. It would be up to her.​