I have No Memory of This Place

[Liam Kale]

Liam loved running. He'd done a few stretches, and he'd lifted weights in his dormitory this morning. He'd only started doing that this Summer, before he'd just run, but if we wanted to make the Quidditch team;he needed to beef up a bit, get stronger, faster, more stamina. So, he ran. Every morning. He usually did a few laps of the lake, and he tried to avoid the Forbidden Forest, because he knew he'd be tempted to go inside. Merlin, but he'd have some fun if he went running in there. Even thinking about his last visit made him smile, even if he'd been banned from going outdoors, it was worth it. Still, he hadn't ventured near the forest since then. He knew he couldn't trust himself, though he'd done some good hikes this summer, he'd been allowed to go camping alone for the first time. It had been wonderful, just being alone with nature for a while. He'd only gone for one night, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with Cat. He really missed his little sister. She was growing up so quickly, and he felt like he was missing it all. Mother and Father had taken her on trips, she'd started dance classes, her drawings were getting better, and Mother had started allowing her to use paint. She'd even watched Star Wars with him. He knew she wasn't very into the whole thing, but she kenw he liked it, so she watched. He appreciated that.

This morning, however, he hadn't gone down to the lake. There was an unusual amount of people there. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he wouldn't want to stick around, with them watching him while he ran. He briefly contemplated skipping his morning run, but dismissed the idea. If he wanted to do this, he had to do it properly, so, water-bottle in hand, he went off in the other direction. He went over to the cliffs, and decided to do some sprints, up and down, up and down. After a while, perhaps half an hour; he was wrecked. He collapsed back on the ground, pouring the water over his head, and taking a long, refreshing drink. There wasn't much to look at out here, there was the sea of course, but he doubted he could go for a swim, the probably had enchantments on the cliffs. He was already planning on swimming in the lake during the Summer months, when it was warm enough. He could swim instead of run in the mornings, just to mix things up a bit. There was something, a little bush, and he stood, walking over to it. There were no blooms on it, since it was Winter here, but there was a little plaque. Rose Landers. She had died. He hadn't known that. He didn't really know what to do, feeling he should pay tribute to the dead girl somehow. He bowed his head, but Liam wasn't very religious, he couldn't pray, or anything like that. "Um, Hallo..." he whispered, feeling very stupid. "Well, now I'm talking to a bush...um.... I'm sorry you died." he added, scratching the back of his head. He couldn't just walk away, could he? Not after realising someone had died in the school. how did she die? He wondered. Perhaps she fell off the cliffs? Had she died in the school at all? Liam had never encountered death before. He couldn't remember his Grandfather dying. A hunting accident. His Grandfather had been an active man, and Liam's Mother said Liam was just like him. Her certainly had his Grandfather's eyes. He coughed awkwardly, not sure what to do next.

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Hufflepuff student, Hanna Mitchelle Freecss, is currently in the deepest depths of boredom. It had been days since she and her brother Killua arrived at the castle for the start of the school year and it was still days away before classes begin, not that she was planning on attending all of it anyway. But recently, she had tried to keep away from the boredom by searching inside the castle, high and low, for two individual girls. Mainly Roxan and Aaren, the friends she made in Hogwarts. Luckily, Mitch was able to bring some of her hair clips and hair accessories that she could actually try to style her hair. The young girl had tried quite a lot before giving into boredom and giving it a simple look afterwards. She couldn't think of a more proper hairstyle that befits her at the moment, so she went along with the simplest that made her look wonderful in her own eyes through the view of the mirror.

After much self-debate, Mitch decided to search the outside of the castle. Who knows? She might find her friends there after all. The young girl dressed up in a t-shirt and pants as she got out of the dormitories and left the common room before heading off to the outside. Mitch searched almost everywhere, except the Forbidden Forest and the Cliffs and there was still no sign of Aaren or Roxan. It made her quite disappointed but there was still a bit of hope as she began to trek the rocky path up the cliffs. It was quite a long walk, searching blindly for two people, and in the end she nearly gave up nearly top of the hill, until she heard a voice.

It wasn't a girl's voice, that much, Hanna was sure of. She slowly began to walk avoiding as much noise as possible before getting to the top and seeing a boy by the a shrub it seemed. And by the looks of it, the rumored Rosebush. Mitch continued to creep, avoiding noise until she could make out what the boy was saying as she slowly stood a good two to three feet behind the girl before before suddenly speaking out of curiosity, "Who died?" she asked, a tinged of curiosity and a bit of sadness in the girl's voice, wondering if who died was somehow connected to the boy right now.

 

[Liam Kale]

Liam was totally absorbed in the Plaque. He'd never heard of a death in the school; it was probably from before he came to the school. It was odd that he'd never been here before. He'd explored most other parts of the school, and the grounds. He'd never noticed the little bush before, though he wasn't very into flowers. The poor girl. From the look of it, she'd just been in her First Year. A voice interrupted his thoughts, and he blinked rapidly as he looked up, bringing himself back to reality. Who was it? He wheeled around, and saw a younger girl. She reminded him a bit of Cat, with her long, brown hair. "Um... Hallo." he greeted her, not sure how to explain his behaviour. "Well....erm..... I don't know." he answered, and realising how silly that sounded, he gestured to the plaque; "I know it was a girl, called Rose, and that she went to school here." he explained, moving aside so that she could see.

He felt like a giant beside the girl, then again, he'd grown much taller this Summer, and he felt pretty big all the time; "I'd never noticed the bush before." he added, at a loss. What should he do with his hands? He felt so awkward. Usually he was completely composed. Someone approaching him while he talked to a dead girl; worse, a dead girl he didn't know; was definetly outside his comfort zone. He coughed, and looked down at his companion; "I'm Liam by the way; Liam Kale." His Mother had always said it was rude not to introduce oneself, it left people feeling out of place, and awkward.

Liam was very concious of the fact that he was covered in the water from his bottle. He must seem like a crazy person. "Um...I was running you see, I need to keep fit during the year, for Quidditch, Horse-Riding, Rugby...." he trailed off into silence. What did one say in such a strange situation? "So-what year are you in?" he asked, grasping at straws.

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch begin to back away from the boy for a bit, giving him enough space he needed. "Hey there," she answered him as he seemed to panic at her sudden arrival and intriguing. Although, the young Hufflepuff was confused by the following response of the boy. Was it really possible to feel bad about the death of someone you never knew. One thing's for sure, she felt a tinge of sadness as the boy explained to him who the one who died was. She slightly moved closer to the shrub and knelt in front of him. "A rosebush for a girl named Rose, how befitting. She must be as beautiful as this shrub too, don't you think?" she said slightly as she looked at the boy before standing up slowly.

Mitch giggled a bit at the boy's confession, it was an unusual statement for such a situation but at least he was trying his best to keep up a conversation. "Then I am the same as you. I've already gone here last year, but I didn't really attempt to reach the very top unlike now." Well, if the boy was confessing such things to her then she might as well admit it too. The girl smiled lightly and reached her hand out in front of herself to shake hands, "Hanna Mitchelle Freecss. Most people call me Mitch for short," she introduced herself, smiling at the the boy named Liam.

Hanna Mitchelle took a good look at her new companion and she had to admit that she was quite surprised that the boy was soaked, and from what she observed water. She didn't mind it at all, but it seemed that her companion was worried about his own appearance in front of her. Mitch gave him a gentle smile before responding, "Don't worry. I don't mind at all. You're lucky you get to play Quidditch and ride horses. Mother would never let me. And," she paused. Would she seem like a total idiot for asking? She had to take the chance, "What's rugby?" she hesitantly asked before answering his own question. "I'm at my 2nd Year. And you?" she asked throwing the question back at the boy.

 

[Liam Kale]

Liam was worried that he'd scared the little girl a bit, as she backed away. He wasn't very used to girls, other than Cat. She wasn't really a girl though, she was a little kid, and this girl looked young, so it should be okay. He watched as she knelt in front of the rose bush. "I wonder what age she was." he mused, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Her statement though, that completely confused him. He frowned. Beautiful? What did a name have to do with being beautiful? "Um.... I suppose?" he half-answered. "In all honesty; she might have been ugly, her name can't tell us what she looks like really..." He wasn't trying to be mean, but it was strange. Just because she had a nice name-she was good-looking?

Girls were odd. That was all Liam could say of this exchange. She started laughing at him! That was quite rude. "I usually run down by the lake, it's nice up here, but a bit boring." he replied, feeling as though he'd missed out on the joke. He smiled as she introduced herself, glad the conversation was understandable now. He shook her hand, and said; "Nice to meet you Hanna." Mother had always said he was not to use someone's nickname until he knew them well. It was good manners.

He gave the girl a sympathetic look as she said her Mother wouldn't allow her to play sports. "I live in the country, so there's not much to do, other than horse-riding and that sort of thing." His mouth gaped open as she asked what rugby was. "It's a muggle sport, the best muggle sport, it's played with a sort of oval ball. There's fifteen players, and you have to get the ball and score." he explained. Most people didn't understand the more intricate parts of the game at first. "It can be very rough, but it's great fun." he added, and answering her, he said "I'm in my third year."

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch had to think about the boy's statement. In fact, she had wondered too what the girl's age was. Was she as young as her? Or was she near graduating? Either way, it was such a loss it must have been indeed. No one deserved to die an early death, and for the few times in her life, Mitch was glad she wasn't trained to be an assassin. She would have to wonder if she would heartlessly kill someone as young as her. Or if she could even kill anyone. Mitch smiled at the boy's confusion. "I don't mean on the outside though, since there is no telling like you said. I meant on the inside. She must have been beautiful on the inside for a rosebush to be dedicated just for her," she said with a gentle smile. She knew it wasn't the boy's fault for the confusion as she should have been more specific.

"You're right, it is more entertaining down by the lake," Mitch said with truth. In totality, Hanna loved to hang-out by the lake more if she were alone, but she didn't mind staying on the cliffs as well, if she had someone with her, like now. "There really isn't much to do here, but the view is wonderful as well," she added to her previous statement. Mitch didn't mind being called Hanna, Mitchelle or Mitch, but she didn't favor formalities too much as to why she preferred to be called Mitch instead. "It's nice to meet you too, Liam," she said with a smile.

"I see. I wish I lived in the country too if I get to experience such fun," the Hufflepuff said with a quite of a dreamy look on her face. Her whole life, she wished that she could experience sports like the other kids, but except for swimming, she never learned any more, and swimming was just for safety measures just so they won't drown in any case. "Yes, it seems to be fun as you look like you're enjoying it as you speak," Mitch said with a smile. The young girl didn't intend to make her statement mean, in fact, she knew that if people have fun when they're speaking about certain things, then they certainly love doing it as well.

 

[Liam Kale]

Liam felt quite morbid, standing here over a memorial, talking about a dead girl. Though; it was intriguing. He might ask one of the Professors about her. Was it an accident, or was she sick or something. He found himself disagreeing with the girl again. "Well, they probably had to put up a memorial for her, I mean if a student dies, it's the decent thing to do I suppose." he mused, looking at the grave. "I mean, she was probably nice, most people are, but the plaque gives us no information." He looked down at Mitch. He hoped she didn't think him rude, but he was a very honest person, and not prone to agreeing for the sake of it.

He nodded as she agreed with him about the lake. "I plan on swimming down there during the Summer. You see, there were lots of people there, so I came up here." he explained, strolling over to the very edge of the cliff, and sitting down with his legs swinging over the edge. "Do you think they have enchantments, so that we won't fall. Maybe that's what's happened to the girl? I mean, why else would they put the memorial up here? Where barely any people would see it?" he suggested, looking back at the girl.

He laughed at her adult style of speech. "Yes, well it is fun, I go camping a lot. I used to go with my Dad, but he lets me go alone now. The horses are great. I grew up with them, so I'm used to them, but they can be scary for first-timers." he knew, because this Summer, his Mother had started giving riding lessons to the locals. It was just another expansion, plus, Mother was ever so bored at home, with nothing to do. This gave her purpose, and filled up her extra time. She had a lot of extra time with only one child to look after most of the time. "It is a bit complicated, but it's grand once you get used to it." He laughed, realising that his explanation didn't lend itself to her understanding.

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch was enjoying the conversation she and the boy were having. Sure they were having contradicting ideas, but that's what makes it more fun for the young girl. Knowing others' opinions instead of trying to guess or someone just plainly agreeing, when deep inside they were strongly against it. "Point taken," she said with a little smile grazing her Australian features. "Thanks... For sharing your opinions," she thanked the boy ever so nicely as she rarely does in the presence of others. "It's nice to have those kinds of sharing once in a little while," she said as she took a seat on the ground looking at the view offered by the place.

Hanna Mitchelle was quite surprised by the boy's plans. Wasn't there a monster residing in those waters? As far as she knew, there was a creature. "Wouldn't the rumored squid attack you?" she asked, a tinge of worry found in her voice. She hadn't known Liam for a long time, but it's not impossible to worry about someone else's welfare. "Enchantments... Probably... Just to be sure, maybe they did, but I guess we shouldn't try falling to find out," the Hufflepuff cracked a small smile, indeed wondering if there were enchantment around the cliffs to avoid them from falling. "Maybe she did fall, but maybe the professors would know more than assumptions. Maybe we should ask some?" she inquired, actually considering that possibility. And she was eager to know as well.

Mitch sighed, envying the boy's experience. The boy was certainly, definitely lucky to be able to leave in such paradise. "I never got to experience such things. I am only at home and Mother never lets me out except on occasions," she narrated, remembering the few times she could leave the mansion was for a formal party and it wasn't really something a child was looking forward to. "Scary?! I think they're wonderful!" she cried gleefully, voicing out her thoughts which she hoped was not proved to be wrong. The Hufflepuff was quite surprised when the other was laughing and she began to laugh as well, upon realization that she didn't understand much about the sport. "I didn't really understand much about this.... Rugby. But no matter, I'll learn about it in due time," Which is never, she continued in her thoughts as she wondered what it would be like to play for the sake of fun instead of education.