Everybody's Starry Eyed

[Azolla Loncar]

Azolla picked the dirt from her nails as she walked through the corridors, her mind swirling with thoughts that frightened her. Her family was having issues right now because of her Grandma's inability to help them out and while she had not gone back to England with Mary she knew just by the look on her sister's face that it was difficult. She wondered if maybe she should apply for a job in Brightstone but dismissed it because she realized that no one would hire a twelve year old to help run their shop. It would be down right foolish of them if they did but what stopped her from suggested that her sister get a job? Poor Larkspur had, according to letters that were strewn in her sister's bedroom that she had come across accidentally. No one could locate anything in her sister's room so now whatever she found was an accident so she didn't think she would get in any trouble if she brought it up.

With her mind consumed with things more important than avoiding people as she walked, Azolla found herself on the floor after walking into what she could only guess was a seventh year who mumbled an apology before continuing in her direction. For a moment, Azolla lay on the marble floor rubbing her head that now pounded from the impact before she touched the back over her head and anxiously checked for blood but sighed in relief when she felt only her long, brown hair and what would probably become a bump the following morning. She slipped her other hand under the small over her back and rubbed the aching muscles as well as she could, wincing as she touched a sore spot before sighing and looking up to see a figure looking over her. Instantly she gasped in shock before she tried to register if it was that girl but then noticed it was a boy, one she had seen around the halls with a red head but knew nothing of him, even his name so she smiled meekly, "Hi." It was just this Slytherin's luck that she would meet a cute, older boy when she had just fallen on the ground and looked a mess thanks to being in the garden and pruning some plants that had been ignored by whoever's job it was to look after it. Of course the rose garden was in peek condition. Sure it was a memorial but no one who had been a student with that girl attended anymore, Azolla assumed, and the other plants needed attention as well. Azolla's thoughts scurried away from her before she wondered just what she was supposed to do or say now that this boy had seen her fall and humiliate herself.​

 

[Michael Harper]

</COLOR>

<COLOR color="#000">The past year had seen Michael mature more than anybody could have expected. Sure, he was still a nerdy little thirteen year old, but he seemed less clueless when it came to speaking with people, and he was no longer only focused on getting good grades. Karah had taught him that it was nice to have friends too, and to have a little fun, though he wasn't sure catching cooties from her was anybody's idea of 'fun', let alone his. Michael was a new boy now, one that could let loose a little more than he had been able to before, thirteen was the new black and he was determined to make the most of that. Without his cumbersome cloaks over his shoulders Michael didn't look so small or lost anymore, and truth be told he wasn't lost today, he was a third year now and had managed his ultimate goal, to settle comfortably into Hogwarts, and to find his place. The thirteen year old had a free afternoon so he decided, as he had seen many students do, to wander the corridors, free of stress and free of thought. It would be odd, he thought, for the other students to see him walking on his own, more importantly without Karah. Ever since they had gotten eachother 'sick' they had become so close and spent almost all of their free time together.

But it seemed nice to have some time alone, to mull over thoughts for yet another homework assignment, though Michael could not shake the feeling that he needed some more friends, surely it bothered Karah that he was always hanging around her, perhaps he needed another companion, so that his Gryffindor friend could have some time to herself. Kicking his worn converse along the ground Michael walked along the fifth floor corridor, wondering what to do with himself, he could feel his pet rat, Ransom, sneaking out of his pocket and up under his shirt and he laughed a little at the feeling he seemed to have gotten used to, and at the memory of the first time he had met Karah and she had squealed at the sight of his beloved pet. Kicking along, the Ravenclaw boy jumped! His foot had almost hit something, rather someone! He looked down immediately and saw a young girl, lying right in front of his sneakered foot. Gee, if it was this easy to come across a new companion at Hogwarts he thought he was going to like it there. The young girl seemed to be a Slytherin by her attire and he swore he had seen her around school, with a much older Slytherin girl. They looked alike so he had assumed that they were sisters. Before he have the girl a chance to speak he crouched down then shimmied so he was laying right on the floor next to her, feeling the relieving chill of it on the back on his neck. "Hi." he mimicked her, not knowing what else to do, it wasn't everyday you came across a new friend on the floor. "I'm Michael," he added, looking up at the roof. "So, what are we doing down here?" ​

<i></i>

 

[Azolla Loncar]

There was a pause between the time that Azolla had greeted the boy, that before he said anything to her let her know that he was a Ravenclaw in the same way he would have known that she was a Slytherin - that is if he had noticed instead of being distracted by fact that she was laying on the floor - and the time before her responded to her. Azolla looked into his eyes, that were such a lovely shade of brown and found herself both lost in them and blushing a deep red that is until he lay down beside her. The dark haired girl tilted her head to the side and looked at him curiously, with her lips parted as if she had a question dancing on her lips but lacked a voice. Azolla had never met a person so curious except her little sister who, when she was five, had insited that she was a cat and drank milk underneath the kitchen table on her hands and knees but this was different. The Ravenclaw wasn't five-years-old and seemed to be somewhat rational except he waslaying on the ground with some stranger. With this said, Azolla knew she must seem equally as peculiar so she smiled to him as he said, "Hi."

The twelve-year-old girl never thought that this was a way people met but she introduced herself anyhow, "I'm Azolla Loncar." She added with a perky smile playing on her soft lips, "It's nice to meet you." Briefly Azolla looked up at the cieling before she quirked an eyebrow up questioningly as she looked back at the boy, whose name was Michael. A cheeky smirk danced on her pink lips before she said, "I don't know why you are here but I was shoved and fell." As the 'l' lingered on her British tongue it occured to her that it would seem like she was compalining so she hastily shrugged it off. Hoping that Michael wouldn't see it as this but adding, for good measure, "We weren't looking where we weren't going, she just happened to be huge!" As Azolla spoke she used her hands to try to show just how tall the girl was but at four feet and eleven inches being huge didn't mean a whole heck of a lot. With that said, she knew that soonshe would benearly as tall as her sisters, Laelia or Mary, each were tall. If she remembered correctly Laelia had never been very tall until one summer she just 'was'. The dark haired girl looked into Michael's eyes after she chuckled at herself and asked, poking his arm with her finger that still had dirt under the nail, "Why are you here?" As she awaited his answer she rubbed her back trying to relieve some of the pain that still radiated from her tiny body but knew that just in moments all would be fine, a few bumps and bruises never really hurt anybody.​

 

[Michael Harper]

As crazy as it seemed, Michael stayed lying on the ground next to the strange girl, for an awkward boy like him it seemed only natural. He lay on his back and turned his face to hers, causing his ear to grow quite cold as it was against the floor. Ransom shimmied up his shirt and popped out of his collar, resting on his stomach as Michael watched the pet rat rise up and down with the breaths and rise and fall of his chest. "Nice to meet you Azolla Loncar." the Ravenclaw liked the way that her name felt on his tongue, he more than liked it, he imagined himself wanting to say it over and over again, but he felt that was a little too forward of him. He held his hand out sideways fo rher to shake, which was rather awkward since they were on the floor. "Azolla, like the plant?" he asked, knowing that she probably got it quite a lot, but he was rather fascinated with the beauty of such water plants, just as he seemed to find himself fascinared with what seemed like a beautiful girl who belonged to the name, though he couldn't be so sure just yet, things probably looked very different from the correct angle. He noticed her cheeks blush, and remembered when he had kissed Karah, hormones still seemed peculiar to the young boy, but he was now more aware of them around the school and they seemed to be in plentiful supply.

Michael felt calm as he lay on the floor and avoided thinking about homework or classes for once. "It looked like you could use some company." Michael shrugged his shoulders, surprised that he was talking to a girl with such ease, Karah sure was going to be excited to hear about this. With her arms spread out, Michael nodded, he wasn't the biggest boy and he sure knew how big the biggest boy really was. It was rather daunting sometimes. "I know what you mean, I'm sure oneday we will grow into the school" he sounded hopeful, and he was, hopeful that 'oneday' was going to be someday soon. The Ravenclaw put his hands on his stomach, just beneath Ransom who began to nibble on his thumb which didn't hurt, it only made him giggle a little like a girl. ​

<i></i>

 

[Azolla Loncar]

As Michael said her name, Azolla looked at him curiously when she felt chills run down her spine as he said her name. She didn't understand them but as they shook hands and she felt them again she was certain they were good ones. She had a mind to question him about it but decided against it very quickly. Something about it had mistake written all over it and she was distracted by Michael speaking once more. Azolla nodded her head as Michael asked her if her namesake was a plant. It was odd but her parents loved herbology and gardening just as she did so they had named all of their children after plants, she just happened to get one of the stranger ones. No one had ever recognized where her name came from before so she couldn't help but be somewhat impressed with Michael but said nothing of it, only looking at Michael and his pet rat. She would have loved to have gotten one but her grandmother could hardly have handled another pet, or that was before she had moved away. She didn't know how Professor Black and her husband would have responded to that but if she wasn't allowed to keep her pot-bellied pig, Fran, or her puppy, Dorcas, why would she have been allowed to keep a rat?

Azolla smiled as Michael answered her question. "It certainly is nice to have some other than my sister," she admitted with an anxious smile. As much as she loved Amy there was only so much you could take of a person before you cracked and with each other being their only friends it was more than a little difficult to be free of them but also not find yourself lonesome. She hoped that maybe this would be the beginning of a friendship because it seemed like it could and as Michael made a comment about growing into the school she couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. They were laying on the ground right now and as close to growing into it as they possibly could. "Well we're on the right track, aren't we?" she said with a slight smile before looking from Michael to his rat. "What's his name?" she asked as she leaned over and lightly pet the head of the rat smiling down at it. "It's so cute!" she said, looking back at Michael briefly before looking back down to the small animal.​