Hark! Who goes there?

[Alana Finch]

The blonde shook her head, smiling to herself as she continued replying to the message that she’d been sent. She sat near the window, her back and feet leaning against the stone wall for support, her body tucked into the small space though it wasn’t a tight squeeze for her at all. Being small had its advantages. Coming in at only a little over five feet tall, Alana had begun to realize that her chances of becoming as tall as her mother were shrinking more and more each day. It wasn’t that Alana disliked her body in any way. She just wished that she was a bit taller. It certainly would help her as a Keeper.

Scratching out something that she’d written, Alana looked up, hearing a sound, someone coming up the steps towards her. She was nearly as far away from the dungeons as she could get, happy to enjoy the cool breeze coming from the window that she’d cracked open. Lately, she’d taken to avoiding the common room and the dungeons altogether when she could, not really having a reason to be there other than to sleep. Kayleigh seemed distracted lately, and she really didn’t have any one else to hang out with. Alana turned her gaze towards the window, hoping that the person would quickly continue on and not stop for idle chat. She hated when people felt the urge to make small talk that neither party cared about.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

The Owlery was a place which for Gabriel was made mostly redundant by the fact he had nobody to write to; or, rather he had nobody to write to whom would have been pleased to receive his correspondence. His father hadn't made so much effort as to send a perfunctory letter enquiring of his new life in New Zealand, or to ask how he was finding the school, or whether or not he'd managed to make any friends there - and quite honestly, Gabriel wasn't disappointed. He might have been, had he been expecting to receive one, but the young Slytherin had learned long ago that it was best to expect nothing more of the man than the bare minimum. In fact, so long accustomed to this lack of care was Gabriel that he'd have been more concerned if he had heard from his father than not.

And so, as he began the slow ascent up the North Tower staircase, it was not with the intention of writing a letter, but with the hopes that it would be empty, and that he could sit and brood for a little while about how incredibly miserable life was without anyone interrupting his thoughts. He couldn't even bond with Saveli over not being loved any more, because she had Professor Pendleton. Gabriel found the man as irritating as the next, but he couldn't help but wonder why Saveli and not him. What made her so special? It was a question incredibly difficult to answer, and every time he thought he came close to one, he resented it so thoroughly that he dismissed it right away. Still, there was no use in puzzling over it all. What had happened had happened, and all Gabriel could do now was figure out a way to reverse it.

He pushed open the door to the owlery and went in, gritting his teeth when he found it occupied and realised his trouble had been for nothing. But it was Alana, and he'd been meaning to apologise to her for quite some time, so rather than going back the way he'd come, he clasped his hands in front of him advanced into the centre of the round room. "Hey," he said, timidly at first. It had been some time since the Yule Ball, and the duelling tournament, but she'd have been perfectly justified still to be cross with him. His eyes lighting on her letter, he said: "Is this an inconvenient time? I can leave, but I owe you an apology, so I'd rather stay."

 

[Alana Finch]

Alana heard the person come in, fighting the urge to glance over at the person as she continued to watch a bird soar across the sky. The Slytherin sighed, hearing someone greet her. It had to be her anyway since she was the only person in the general area though 'hey' really could have been directed towards anyone. Making sure to seem as though it was a great deal of trouble for her to swivel her head to the side to give the person proper attention, Alana sighed and turned her red eyes on the individual.

Surprise crossed her face when she discovered that it was Gabriel. Alana had been going out of her way to avoid him, not in a rush to deal with him after he'd abandoned her at the Yule ball and then injured her during the dueling tournament. Her physical injuries had been easy enough to manage, a quick swish of the nurse's wand, but the emotional pain had lasted a while longer. Alana was easy to injure in that regard, her pride easily bruised and her confidence easily marred. The Slytherin used her hand to cover up the name of the person she was writing to, not wanting Gabriel to get a glimpse of what she was writing though she was sure he wouldn't care anyway. "Yes, you do" she replied, her tone hard as she waited for the apology that he did, in fact, owe her. At least they agreed in that regard.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel took Alana's stone cold affirmation as an invitation to continue, and advanced. He didn't much want to apologise, but he equally disliked the idea of losing one of his only friends in the whole castle. It had been a close call, but ultimately he knew he was better off swallowing his pride and giving a quick apology than repeating his mistakes at Hogwarts Scotland. The movement of her hand attracted his sharp eyes back down to her letter, but it was of no interest to him besides idle curiosity to know who she was writing to.

"Yes," he said, stopping a few paces from where Alana sat. He didn't want to be accused of trying to read her letter. "My behaviour of late has been... unacceptable. I shouldn't have left you at the Yule Ball, and I shouldn't have cast that spell on you in our duel. For those reasons, I am sorry." It probably could have won awards for the stiffest, most formal apology ever given, but he hoped it would suffice, because he was resenting every second of it. He smiled shyly. "Will you forgive me, Miss Alana?"

 

[Alana Finch]

Alana listened to Gabriel speak, his apology coming across stiffly. But, it was coming nevertheless and the effect of it, seeing him swallowing his pride to give an apology that she had no doubts he probably wish he didn't have to, left her feeling powerful. Alana liked seeing him squirm, liked seeing that he'd go through such trouble for her. As he finished, asking if she'd accept his apology, the teenage girl nodded her head quickly. There was no doubt that she was going to accept his apology. She liked Gabriel, enjoyed his company immensely. "Of course I will, Mister Gabriel," mimicking his formality, Alana slid closer to the window, leaving him space to perch himself.

Keeping her gaze on him, Alana spoke again. "And I'm sorry for doing such a crap job of helping you at the Yule ball." Alana really hadn't meant for things to backfire as they had. Gabriel hadn't mentioned that Saveli had a date. How could Alana have known that the other Slytherin girl would have had such a grand old time with him? "Though it does seem to have worked. The two of you have looked awfully cozy in Potions" she added, not worried at all that Gabriel would think she was watching him or anything. Of course, Alana found Gabriel attractive, but she'd given up the idea of dating anyone in the school. It would create too much drama, and she had more than enough of that in her life.

 

[Gabriel Fletcher]

Gabriel awaited the verdict with baited breath, unable to read Alana's expression. He wouldn't have thought it the end of the world had she refused to forgive him, but it certainly would have been a shame. Alana was pleasant company - so long as Gabriel stayed on the correct side of her - and there had been a time not many weeks ago that the feeling had seemed mutual. Destroying their friendship over such trivial things as a ball would have been a pity. But this worry was needless, because Alana chose to forgive him, and at this kindness, Gabriel decided that he would forgive her, too. Smiling, he moved to occupy the space she'd made for him on the windowsill.

"Forget it," he said, not unkindly. "It wasn't your fault." Alana's next comment made Gabriel scoff lightly. "I don't think so. Ever since she moved in with the professor - did you know that? - she's been... different. Not that she ever saw me as anything more than a friend to begin with. I'd say he's a bad influence on her. I wouldn't want to live with someone so creepy." Gabriel's eyes wandered back down to Alana's letter. "Private?" he asked, nodding at it.

 

[Alana Finch]

Alana felt an immense load off of her shoulders as Gabriel seemed to forgive her as readily as she'd forgiven him. She was glad for that. The Slytherin didn't have many friends. She couldn't just go letting any of them go for something so silly and small. Listening with mild interest, the teen was surprised to learn that Saveli was living with one of their professors. She shook her head, indicating that she'd been unaware of this news. "He is kind of...odd" she admitted. She actually liked Professor Pendleton, but she didn't want to disagree with Gabriel entirely, not now that they'd only just begun talking again.

As Gabriel gestured to her letter, Alana paused for a moment before replying. "You can't tell anyone" she stated, having looked around and not seen anyone. She didn't know any other way to explain it than to just come out with it. "Sometimes, Chaos and I send notes to each other. Just to pass the time" she quickly added, knowing how it sounded to an outsider. Alana's opinion of marrying him had not changed. She just no longer hated him quite so much.