Further than I've been before

[Danny Boyd]

The day was cold and the snow was mounting higher all the time. Danny was not used to this topesy turvy way to the seasons. Mother and aunt were sitting back at the two bedroom cottage at Drummera while he had decided to simply go sightseeing. Of course there wasn't much to see when everything was covered in sheets of white. He zipped up his jacket and pulled his beanie cap down further over his ears. This cold was just crazy, it was supposed to be summer and if he were back in England it would be. Hose ban, water shortage, drought the lot while here it was simply a case of snow, cold, frost and ice. Bitter sharp winds that he could well do without, his nose seemed to be permanently like that childhood reindeer he loved so much, rudolph.

He had yet to make friends here, he had yet to hear from the school that he had been accepted but his mother and aunt assured him that this was a buzy time for Hogwarts. Exams, gradings and the new first years recieving their own letters. Well that had been at the start of the vacation period, this was nearly time to start school. Another week at least. He was nervous that he wouldn't be accepted. His grades wouldn't do so well if he had to stay at home and learn there. Walking on through the town of Brightstone Danny looked about him. He didn't know where he should go, whether or not to check out some of the shops or to simply window shop. He blew into his hands to ward off the chill before stuffing them into his pockets. He could have left his mother knit him up a pair of mittens but how childish were they. Right now they would have been ideal though.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Pulling her hat down over her hair and covering pretty much her vision Andy walked on with her head down. She would never get used to this biting, frigid cold. It was crazy, at her age she was almost certain she would get hypothermia or something. Ireland had never been this cold and no matter how many winters she was here for she never got used to it. The snow on the other hand was glorious. She couldn't resist rolling up a snowball from a shop window sill and tossing it in her hand lightly smiled at how compact it became almost instantly. She hadn't meant to heave it but simply couldn't resist pulling her hand back and letting it fly.

The snowball went like a bullet out of her hand, she wasn't a chaser on the house team for nothing. It went at some velocity up the street ahead of her. She cringed incase anyone got in its way.

 

[Danny Boyd]

As he continued to walk he pulled his hat from his head as it became slightly itchy. It always did when he wore hats for any length of time. He no sooner had it off his head when he was hit with a snowball full on the face aswell. He spluttered and wiping his face Danny looked about to see who the culprit was. Expecting to find some kid pulling a prank and laughing heartily he was unable to see anyone matching that description at all.

Danny looked about and the only one who even seemed guilty of the offence was a tall girl with flaming red hair who was looking in his direction. Danny pulled his hat back on and started walking over to her.
"Did you throw that at me on purpose or do you usually go around tossing snow balls for the heck of it?" Danny asked her not really angry but not really pleased about getting splattered in the face either. The girl was only a bit shorter than he was which was unusual, most girls he knew were all of an average 5'3 or 5'4. She was goodlooking as well so maybe this escapade might turn out to be a bit of fun.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

"Oh crap!" she exclaimed as the snowball hit a boy full on in the face. Attempting to look away she couldn't so Andy looked on as the boy walked towards her. She tried to look apologetic but seriously didn't know if it even came across that way. He wanted to know had she done it on purpose and she quickly shook her head to reassure him.

"No, of course not. I don't go around tossing snowballs at everyone and I certainly didn't mean to hit you" she sighed, wondering now why she didn't just walk away when it clicked that she hadn't even given him an apology which was totally unlike her.

"Look I'm really sorry about that. I honestly wasn't aiming for you" she shoved her hands deeper into her woolly coat attempting to keep warm.

 

[Danny Boyd]

Somehow he believed her and didn't want to start off on a wrong footing with someone who could very well be a potential friend. She seemed nice enough, mannerly at any rate but were the polite ones ever really fun? Danny smiled at her and shrugged.

"Look let's forget about it ok. Apology accepted, yah? you got a good throw though that was a bit of a distance" Danny took his cold hands out of his pockets to blow on them once more, "this damn winter is getting to me, sorry."

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy shrugged accepting his complement of her throwing, she was a damned fine chaser of course she could throw.
"I'm on the quidditch team at our house, it's my duty to have a decent throw" she told him wondering if her nose was bright red yet, "Look as a way of apology how do you fancy a hot chocolate. My treat".
Why she was offering was beyond her but if Merlin was going to throw good looking boys in her way she was going to react, wasn't she?

 

[Danny Boyd]

Danny looked at her when she mentioned house and quidditch team, was she attending the Hogwarts here in New Zealand then? If he was successful in his transfer perhaps he would see her again. It would be nice to actually know someone there.
"I take it you're a chaser then" he could only smile down at her, startled by her color eyes. Danny had never seen a hue like them before.

"A hot chocolate eh?" now that sounded tempting and he really did want to warm up. "that sounds great especially if you're paying. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Want to lead the way?"

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda smiled as she nodded her head, taking her hands out of her pockets and wrapping them around her waist as she felt the drop in temperature.

"Yeah chaser extraordinaire. We can talk all about it over the hot chocolate" she grinned, "over this way, hope you don't mind running but it's freezing".
She gave him a quick wink and turning around looking up and down the cobbled street ran up the street to where the Three Broomsticks was. Opening the door she felt the blast of warm air on her face and smiled appreciatively.



[I'll open up there in a bit]

 

[Danny Boyd]

Daniel considered her for a moment. She seemed like a veritable bundle of energy which was always a good thing. So she played quidditch and as chaser, very good to know. Considering that was his own position. He didn't divulge this information though as she insisted they just get in out of the cold. Danny wasn't one to complain and so when she ran for the cafe she had indicated, he jogged along behind her.

[sure thing]