Getting to know the place again...

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda had watched as Mike and Zuka had made their way into the prefects lounge, she knew that all the new prefects as well as the older ones were all going to meet up but she just couldn't face anyone yet. The arrival at the school yesterday had been exhausting and alarming to say the least, she was sharing a room with Katalina which helped to alleviate some of the tension she had. Kat had always made her feel relaxed and at ease, right now that was a good combination for Andromeda. She wandered down to the gardens thinking back on the previous nights activities in the common room, all her old friends and housemates had been thrilled to see her again, she also knew they were slightly shocked by her awfully gaunt appearance but there was nothing she could do about it.

Herself and Esmerelda had spent hours pouring over various potion books and spell books doing various appearance charms and glamours, mixing concoctions which would apparently put some colour back in her cheeks and put some meat on her bones. The results always lasted for less than a minute. One of the healers who still called to check on her was aghast at their attempts but knew for Andromeda's self esteem on returning to school that she needed to blend in, needed to be as invisible or as ordinary as possible. Looking tall, thin and wretchedly pale with flaming red hair set you apart about as much as a tornado in a china shop.

Her stroll took her to the garden, she had missed them and wondered now how Groundskeeper Willie and Caretaker Corvin were doing. Her heart beat erratically though as she came face to face with the tree that held the door way to her cavern. She wondered was it all still disillusioned, would the password still work? She was tempted to try but she couldn't. Instead she sat in a slumped heap on the grass just staring at the tree. Here she wasn't a prisoner, no matter that they had set this place up for her. This had been really by her own request. What they had done to her at Durmstrang was heartless, inhumane and dispicable.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden walked along the castle grounds, he had spent the whole day unpacking, and it was beginning to get tiresome. Aiden couldn't wait to learn any spell to unpack his trunk, it was so dull and irritating. Aiden had hoped that he would find someone he knew along the grounds, but there was no luck, actually he couldn't see anyone.

Aiden shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk along, while whistling a soft tune, not really paying attention to where he was going. It was only when Aiden was in the garden that he realized he had been heading there. Aiden looked around him wondering how he had got there when he spotted a girl sitting on some grass and starring at a tree.

Aiden gave the girl a friendly smile, no longer wanting to make enemies, at least not on the first week of school, that would be a new record for him. Aiden shook his head and laughed silently at this thought then said, "Hi, I'm Aiden Lorka, mind if I join you?" Aiden furrowed his brow trying to put a name to the girls face when it clicked, she was the girl that had been sent to Durmstrang, he had heard things about her, and asked curiously, "You're Andromeda right?" Aiden smiled once more as he looked at the pale skinned girl.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda heard the footsteps and hoped they would pass by, instead they drew nearer until a pleasant enough voice asked if she were Andromeda. Looking up she saw a boy just younger than herself, she had seen him in their common room as well.
"Yeah, I'm Andromeda. Sorry I don't know who you are" she figured he must be one of the second years though, he looked a bit taller than the first years they had gotten yesterday and she really couldn't remember him from the sorting ceremony.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden nodded his head once and repeated, "I'm Aiden, it's nice to meet you." Aiden sat down across from her then said, "You don't mind if I join you do you?" Aiden gave her a friendly grin as he ran his hand through his messy brown hair. Aiden glanced down for a quick moment then back up at the girl and said, "You're in Gryffindor right? I heard that you just came back from Durmstrang, lovely place ain't it?" Aiden rolled his eyes to show his sarcasm, he had attended Durmstrang for a week or so, but he made his father sign him back up at Hogwarts, he was not going to be learning at some school where he didn't even speak the language and where it was dirtier then the end of the dungeons.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda looked at the boy infront of her and couldn't help but smile, her hands were covering her prefect badge and she thought it best for now to store it away discreetly in her robe pocket. She certainly didn't want to frighten the boy off, just yet.
"Nice to meet you too Aiden and no I don't mind at all" infact she was delighted with the company, especially as it was someone she didn't know, so he wouldn't ask many questions. Of course this all changed in a few seconds, did everyone know she had attended Durmstrang then?
"Yeah, third year Gryffindor. You're the same house aren't you?" she didn't answer his question about Durmstrang, she didn't know if she could just yet. Her letters to Zuka, speaking with her godmother and the healers and her nightmares had been the only moments over the past months that she had talked about her ordeal. She wasn't quite ready to discuss that loathe some school in every day conversation just yet.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden smiled then said, "Second year Gryffindor." Aiden looked at the girl and shrugged, she obviously thought his question was a rhetorical one, which it partly was, it was an awful school, everyone that had been there knew this, and possibly didn't admit it. Aiden looked down then said, "Are you excited to start classes again?" Aiden was partially, he didn't know if the Slytherins would still be mad at him, and he had a fair amount of classes with them.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Picking up a blade of grass Andromeda played with it as she considered his question. Her hair was much shorter and yet she still had a tendency to push it behind her ears, which she attempted to now.
"I guess so, though this year I'll be starting my electives. I hadn't a clue what to pick so I just chose Care of Magical creatures and muggle studies. To be honest, the others seemed like way too much hard work" she gave a wry smile at this before turning to look at him, glancing briefly at the tree "How about you? You managed to survive your first year, any favourite subject yet or are they all just ok?"

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden nodded his head then said, "Despite my dislike for Professor King, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions was good to though." Aiden shrugged his shoulders lightly and said, "I can't wait for my third year to be honest, though there is only one elective I wouldn't want, Muggle Studies, I'd fail that in a second, I haven't got a clue how they live." Aiden chuckled at his own ignorance.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda couldnt help but chuckle in return.
"Ah but that's where I'm cheating you see, my mothers family are mainly muggles except for my uncle Patrick and my mother" Andromeda winced when she mentioned her, knowing it was her mothers fault that she had been pulled from Hogwarts and placed in Durmstrang.
"We all lived on this huge farm and animal sanctuary for years, so I know tons of stuff. Should be a doddle getting an 'O' in that class. At least I hope it is, would be bloody mortifying if I ended up with a T" she smiled again at Aiden, not caring how skinny, or lanky or pale she was now. She was enjoying his company and that she hadn't done in a while. She tried to think back to the last time she had just sat on some grass having a chat with anyone about mundane everyday things and she couldn't, she really couldn't remember.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden raised his eye brow curiously when Andy winced when she mentioned her mother but didn't mention it, he understood how it was to have problems with family members, especially parents. "Well that I'd like to see, I always have to try harder then I mean to in classes to get an O, when I don't try I get an A, it's a bit embarrassing to be perfectly honest." Aiden gave Andy a joking smile then said, "You want to here something funny, it took me forever to learn what shaking hands meant, muggle things are very odd." Aiden smiled lightly to try and lighten to mood even more, something told Aiden that Andy had been through a lot and he didn't want her to be unhappy.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda did laugh, she couldn't help it. She felt really relaxed here.
"That is funny, would you believe that when I was on the Hogwarts express for the first time pratically every kid introduced themselves with a hand shake. I mean if I was to have done that back home in Ireland around my family and stuff, I would have been laughed at. Muggles only use it for formal introductions but kids never do and friends are always hugging each other or high-fiving. So what did you think it was all about then? Shaking hands I mean" she couldn't help but grin at the few ideas that floated through her own head, it must be odd not to come from a world where something as common place as shaking hands was considered bizarre.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden shrugged his shoulders softly and said, "I don't socialize very often..so I didn't know." Aiden ran his hand through his hair roughly and said, "Um I was always taught that wizards and witches greeted eachother with a slight bow of your head, so.." Aiden trailed off blushing slightly at this.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda touched his knee with her fingers very gently, the movement so subtle it could easily have been missed. She wanted to simply reassure him that she wasn't laughing at him but had actually thought she was laughing with him.
"I'm not much on the socialising front myself these days, so not to worry" she looked about the garden, her gaze halting every so often on the tree before turning back to him again.
"So tell me, how was your summer? Are you glad to be back here for another year of gruelling study and hard work?"