It's no stranger to you and me

[Estrella Drage]

If Estrella wasn't teaching or in the library, she could often be spotted strolling the grounds. She couldn't justify being cooped up in the castle when the weather was agreeable. The woman made her rounds of the gardens before heading off for somewhere more risky. One of these days she would have to make a trip to the Forbidden Forest. It wasn't forbidden to her anymore. Despite the thrill factor, she didn't want to go in there alone, and probably wouldn't go deep. The cliffs would have to do for now.

The brunette took the easiest way up. She'd climbed the cliffs many a time with Jaken. Not an hour went by where she didn't think about her husband and her daughter. Luckily, tonight was one of the nights she could go home and spend time with them. She was lucky for the arrangement she had right now.

Students seemed to neither know (nor care) that the cliffs were off-limits. Estrella hated to have a thorn in her side about it, but then again she was now getting paid to be responsible. She had to say something to the Hufflepuff student that was practicing a spell of some sort.

"You know you're not supposed to be up here, right?" It was more of a statement than a scolding. While Estrella recognized the girl, her memory wasn't giving up a name.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia had found herself at the Cliffs for reasons beyond her. She had walked for a good part of the day, running and re-running the same scene through her head. She knew now that what she had done was all she could do and that the rest of the plan was up to Hades but she felt as though the whole thing didn't go as planned. She was meant to warm up to Kalif over a period of time, ease them both into the father and daughter roles that they never fully got into. Instead she blew the whole thing into one day after a Herbology class with two other classmates, that wasn't part of the plan right?

Shaking her head of the past she decided she needed to focus more on the future. Her OWLs was the first thing that came to mind. Twirling her wand between her fingers she figured it couldn't hurt to go over a few spells that she was maybe a bit rusty on. Pointing her wand at one of the big rocks near the cliffs edge she spoke the simple incantation, "Wingardium Leviosa!" She smiled as it worked. She let the stone rise and fall in mid-air for a while as she moved it around the general area. When she heard a voice behind her, pointing out the fact that she shouldn't be up here she lost her train of thought and heard the stone fall to the ground again as she turned to see a familiar face. "Urr, sorry. I...um." she didn't really know why she at the cliffs and couldn't think of a reason off of the top of her head. She felt her cheeks burn and she dropped her head, Great. I don't get in trouble for four years and now I'm Prefect I get into trouble twice in the one week. she thought to herself, kicking herself for getting herself into trouble in the first place.

 

[Estrella Drage]

"You're fine," Estrella responded with a wink. She had taken note of the girl's prefect's badge, and it would really have killed her to get any student in trouble for simply being up here. Merlin knew the number of professors that had let her off the hook when she was a student herself. "I never knew why this place was off limits anyway."

The young woman slipped her hands into her pockets, looking out over the grounds. The students who weren't in class seemed to be behaving. Estrella hadn't had to get a student in trouble yet this year. "What was your name again? I remember faces but I don't remember the important stuff," she chuckled. Quite pathetic, considering I've been gone only a year.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia raised her head again and smiled as the, only slightly, older had let her off the hook, she really didn't feel like getting into trouble. Observing the woman's face Patricia realised she definitely knew her, she was the Head Girl a few years ago, but then again the name escaped her now. The reason as to why she was back at the school was also a mystery to her. Patricia laughed awkwardly as the woman passed comment on as to why this place was off limits. It was always awkward trying to make conversation with people you should know but just don't. Patricia Rogers." Patricia gave in reply, hoping she was introduce herself after as Patricia didn't feel comfortable asking for her name straight after.

 

[Estrella Drage]

"That's right! Patricia," Estrella thought for a moment, "That makes you a... fifth year. Right?" The last time she had seen this girl, she'd been considerably smaller. The influence of time was mind-boggling. Hogwarts New Zealand was Estrella's second home, but it had changed. On some days, she half-expected Bruin to join the Gryffindors at breakfast, or Zoe to the Slytherins. Estrella herself had wandered to the Ravenclaw table on one occasion, realizing her mistake when she couldn't find Lily. There were new faces, new challenges, new stories. The graduate found herself delighting in these alien differences all the same.

"Good to see you made prefect," the older of the two finally stated. "I'm Estrella Styx." She had gotten so used to her husband's surname that she had nearly forgotten she had been here under a different one.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia nodded her head in response, "Yeah I'm a fifth year now." She confirmed for the older woman. Patricia still found it weird saying she was a fifth year, but then again it was like that every year. Then by the time she got used to saying it she would have moved up a year and she'd have to get used saying she was sixth year. Patricia shuddered at the thought, she was just going to focus on being a fifth year for now; it was scary enough.

Patricia blushed a bit when the woman pointed out that she had made Prefect; that too took some getting used too. "Thank you!" she beamed, very proud of the fact that she had been chosen as Prefect, although she was normally too modest to brag about it. Patricia was about to ask the woman what her name was but thankfully she was saved that embarrassment when the woman gave her name first. With a blank look on her face, Patricia blinked a few times before simply stating, "Wow!" Another relation!?!? Patricia felt like screaming, this family was far too big for her own liking. But she settled for dealing with this better than she had done in previous occasions. Shaking her heads, trying to figure out her thoughts she said, "Sorry, but the size of this family amazes me sometimes." with a small laugh at the end.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella blinked and stared at Patricia. Surprise thrashed and kicked for a space of its own, but there was none to speak of. She had long been exposed to the promiscuity of both herself and Jaken's family, though she had never realized to what extent this would reach. If the sheer number of relations Jaken had was amazing, then amazing gave her a hell of a headache. The young woman shook her head.

She couldn't really say much, though; she was a bastard herself. As were most of her siblings. Estrella smiled at Patricia. "Well, I hope you haven't dated anyone here. It can't be safe." She nearly gagged at the thought. Although the kisses Sumner had given her were only celebratory, the sheer idea had her insides trying to jump out of her throat.

Estrella sat then, smoothing down her robes and letting her legs hang over the side of the cliff. "What are you then? To, uh, grumpy gills
here?" She nodded her head toward the greenhouses, hoping that Patricia wouldn't be offended by her statement. A hint of a blush rose to her cheeks and she chuckled. It wasn't the greatest idea to be insulting her father-in-law when he was her coworker.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia was beginning to get curious as to how Estrella was related to the family; to her. Patricia couldn't contain a laugh as she Estrella said it's not safe to date anyone here, Patricia was slowly but surely realising this to be very true, but thankfully there was no fear of having that happen, so far the teenager had been unlucky in that field - not that she was complaining though. "I'm 100% sure that that hasn't been a problem." she informed the older out of the two.

Following suit, Patricia crossed her legs and sat down on the ground. She didn't feel like putting her legs over the edge like most people seemed to do, not that she was afraid, it just didn't appeal to her as much as it seemingly did to others. Patricia snorted at Estrella's description of her father, Patricia had heard a few of them and had some of her own, "Grumpy gills, that's a good one." she complimented Estrella. Patricia was well aware that insulting her father like that may not be the best form of respect but until he acted like a proper father to her she didn't see the point in it. "Um, I'm his daughter." she said, her voice shaking slightly. She had gotten used to saying it, but not to another relation, she was simply unsure how Estrella was going to take the news. "What about you?" she asked, wondering if she had a new sibling, cousin perhaps.

 

[Estrella Drage]

"Being completely sure is good," Estrella laughed, "Very good." She would have no qualms about slaughtering her father if she were related to Kale, James, and of course the worst, Jaken. The woman pulled her robes closer to her skin, retaining heat. The weather was lovely, albeit chilly. Trying not to lose her breakfast was her next priority.

"His daughter? Well, then we're sisters-in-law," Estrella responded, grinning at Patricia. "Have you met Jaken?" Estrella would have bet a thousand galleons that Patricia hadn't. Jaken had never talked about a Patricia, nor mentioned that he had another sibling in the school. He probably didn't even know she existed. His wife couldn't wait for his reaction when he found out that his sister was a Hufflepuff, heck, that he had another sister at all.

It seemed that every other person she met, Estrella was related to them in some way. She was getting pretty sick of it. Not that she didn't like Patricia or anything. The girl was a sweetheart.

 

[Patricia Styx]

Patricia nodded in agreement, still laughing at the idea of it. Although, the thought of incest was repulsive. Through some of her extra reading, mostly for History of Magic she had learned that some Pure Blood families had incest in their family just so it could stay Pure, it was disgusiting! Although she put that out of her mind, she didn't have to worry about it so she wasn't going too.

When Estrella informed her that they were sisters-in-law the young Hufflepuffs eyes widened with shock, but she was still happy that it wasn't really a closer relation - although she had never really thought about sisters or brothers-in-law, that was a whole other kettle of fish that she had yet to fry. When questioned if she knew Jaken, Patricia frowned her eyebrows, the name was familiar but she couldn't place a face. "No I haven't met him, although I think Hades or someone may have mentioned him before - the name's familiar." she informed her sister-in-law. "By the looks of things I haven't met half of my relatives yet. Jaken would be another brother I assume?" she asked. Only thinking that Estrella would enquire about Jaken if he was her husband.