Let's Play!

[Lydia Warrick]

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<SIZE size="50">With Lydia's mother meeting some old school friends in the village, Lydia had been left to her own devices. All part of what her mother called, growing up, she'd begun letting Lydia do more things on her own. Which she was more than happy about. Her young mind was eager to learn things, and unlike her elder brother she'd been much more closely guarded growing up than he had ever been. She wasn't too sure why, but it always appeared as though her parents kept her much closer to their chest that they had ever with her brother. But those things didn't matter really anymore. Lydia Archer was almost at the point where she would be attending Hogwarts, and she was excited beyond belief for this. It would be the best thing ever. She couldn't wait to be sorted. She couldn't wait to make friends with people in her year. She couldn't wait to learn. She couldn't wait for any of it. Lydia was just a little frustrated that she had to wait a little longer. She wanted it now, and while she wasn't necessarily impatient, this was the one thing she hated the fact she had to wait for it. It was getting closer and closer, but it seemed so far from her still. Just so out of reach. The youngest Archer was wandering through the village, holding a small stick in her hand, pretending that that was her wand. She was happily making her way through the town. She was glad for this new freedom that she had. Her parents she knew loved her, but she just wanted to be left to her own thing ever so often. Lydia looked very like her family. She like the other had brown hair, she was at this point short for her age, and while she didn't quite have the same eyes as the boys, she had a slightly more green blue colour which she took after her mother. She was an Archer, she was a younger, female version of her brother. She had all the traits that Archer's had. Which was good, she was happy. She was also going to be the first, she realised of the Archers to go to Hogwarts and actually be able to see the colour of her house. Lydia had grown up in a house where the male genetic defect of monochromaticness was just a fact of life, but it didn't mean that the young girl really understood what it meant.

It saddened the young Archer greatly knowing her brother, or her father would ever be able to see the colours of the world. The beauty of the flowers, or the blues of the cloudless sky. She never let her mind linger on such things however, she was making her way to the small park on the edge of the village, she'd been to it a number of times, but this was the first time she was heading there alone. Lydia was glad that she could finally do this alone. She knew that this would be the best thing ever. The park was a short walk from where her mother was, and the girl excitedly made her way to it. She was at the park in no time at all, and the first thing she did was head up the wrong side of the slide. The park was empty. It wasn't a particularly nice day, but Lydia didn't care about that. She climbed up the slide part, and then slide back down it. Her mother would never let her do such a thing. She was glad she could do it now. The girl sat at the bottom of the slide wondering what else she could do that her mother would not approve of. One thing definitely stood out against the rest. After the slide thing. Jumping to her feet, Lydia made her way over to the swings. She first of sat down, and swung herself back and forth on the balls of her feet. Letting her bright, wide eyes survey the area. Her mother was no where in sight. She giggled slightly at this rebellious feeling growing inside her. Then, with a decisive nod, stood up on the swing. She felt a bundle of nerves grow in her, and they erupted in a joyful giggle. She just let the swing settle as she gathered her nerves, and just calmed down. She glanced around herself once more. She wasn't allowed to do this normally. Her mother always said she'd fall and hurt herself. Lydia wanted to do it. She had seen Ty do it. She wanted to do it. Lydia was smiling more than she'd ever before. So much so, she was afraid the sides of her face might hurt. With a new sense of drive, the girl began to push the swing. Getting a bit of momentum and gaining height. Lydia was laughing loudly, her laugh incredibly light and in clear awe of how amazing fun this was. Sure, it was a little dangerous, but danger wasn't going to kill her. Not a little bit of it. She had been sort of annoyed about what her mother had planned for the day, but Lydia knew the minute her mother said she was allowed to go off by herself, she had felt incredible. Like she could do anything she wanted. Her mother would never know and all would be fantastic.
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[Erica Silversong]

Erica was home from school. Yes the traveling was a bit of an extreme but it was necessary until she was in Hogwarts. Aunt Agatha was needed in the England branch of St. Mungo's and her Uncle could take her to primary around here. Erica was alright with this though. She had made a friend in her new England primary school though the girl tended to not talk to her when she was with her friends. It was odd but Erica thought it was what happened out in the outside world. Aunt Agatha allowed her to go out to the park this day after her school work was done and she had completed the lessons that related to where they sued to be. Erica didn't really understand why seeing as they where continuing with the teachings seeing as her and her cousins had been sent out but she did the lessons anyway. Erica wondered around Brightstone until she found a children's park. The purple haired girl smiled wide.

She saw a girl that was standing on a swing set so Erica in a rush of excitement ran towards the empty seat next to the girl and jumped, her stomach hitting hard on the strap that made up the seat. She swung like that for a little bit giggling before scrambling off only to sit down and start to swing. "Hi, hi!" She called up to the standing girl. She was eager to make friends with as many people as she could. She was so happy to see others that where not in her family or part of the school group in her old home. Not that she didn't like a lot of them but everything was just so shiny and new to her. Erica wanted to take in everything and everyone.

 

[Lydia Warrick]

With a bright smile, the youngest Archer was feeling truly free for one of the first times in her life. She didn't know if it was the wind rushing through her hair as she swung back and forth. Or if it simply boiled down to the fact that she wasn't actually suppose to be doing what she was doing. It wasn't like she was doing anything terrible, but since she'd never been allowed to do this before, she was just so happy she could. It was the small things that she was happy about. The fact she could do this without fearing about her mother telling her it was wrong and she therefore shouldn't. Bundling her away and taking her home where she was safe. Lydia didn't overly understand why her parents did such a thing. She was nine years old, of course she didn't understand it. It wasn't something she'd really noticed until this year. It became painfully clear when she had very reluctantly let her stay with her cousin without them along too. Ty was able to all the time, and yet Lydia was the one who was unable to. She was glad that they were allowed to go, and now she was allowed to go by herself. Since her brother was at Hogwarts and therefore couldn't just leave every other day. Lydia laughed happily, she was wrapped up in her own little world. Happily ignoring everyone else, anyone else that might come into the park. It was a little bit of a mistake since she knew her mother could come in at any time and see her doing what she was doing and give her into so much trouble for it too. Although it wasn't the primary concern on Lydia's rebellious young mind. She was just too happy to want to think such things.

As it turned out, Lydia was not as wrapped up in her own little world as she thought. In fact, Lydia noticed that another person had taken the swing next to her. Because there was no yelling or anything, the young Archer had to assume that it wasn't her mother, there to give her into trouble. She was greeted with the face of a girl who seemed about her age, this cause a large smile to erupt on her lips, and for a small giggle to escape her lips. She hadn't realised that despite the fact that there was no yelling, she'd become nervous again. Seeing the girl and hearing her excited hellos. Lydia slowed the swing down and sat down so that she could see the girl better. So that she wasn't above her or anything like that. "Hi" Despite having lived in New Zealand all her life, Lydia's Kiwi accent was laced with the Georgian accent the rest of her immediate family had. Lydia had lived in New Zealand most of her life, but she had been born in America. Smiling excited at the other girl, Lydia let her eyes glance the girl over. "My name's Lydia." She exclaimed excitedly. Happy to have met someone her own age for once. Lydia did go to muggle school, but she didn't get to hang out with them very often. Aside from school hours. She wanted more friends. And she figured this girl would be going to hogwarts at the same time as her. "What's your name?" Lydia asked, much more calmly, though she was still smiling brightly. While sitting, she began moving the swing back and forth with the balls of her feet.
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[Erica Silversong]

Erica was letting the swing move on it's own with only the tips of her shoes to keep it from going to far away. "I'm Erica but everyone calls me Rika! Nice to meet you!" She said happily. She was happy to see someone from the wizarding world. She liked her muggle classmates well enough but there was a large part of herself that she couldn't share with them because of the rules around being magic in a muggle world. She noticed that the accent Lydia talked with was one that was used around here but a bit mixed. Erica had no notable accent because of where she was from. She would have had no notable anything had it not been for the event that had made it so she could see the outside world before the age of twenty one. She started to try and wind up the chains of the swing so it would twirl her when she had enough of them. "Does your family live around here? I haven't seen you at the park before then again this is the first time a come here too. I usually have lessons all day." She said all at once.

The chins where twisted together right above her head where she wanted them to be so she pulled her feet up and let it go. The swing spun her really fast making Erica laughing through the exciting yet short ride. "Want to try?" She asked looking at Lydia though she had made herself a little dizzy. Lydia looked like a girl that liked to play like she did which was a nice change from her other friend that was all school and serious business. It was clear from Erica's purple hair and brightly colored clothes that she was more adventurers than that even though she was being taught how to curve her impulses.

 

[Lydia Warrick]

Lydia smiled brightly as the other girl introduced herself as Erica, though Rika was clearly the preferred name. "You too!" It was as she said this, that Lydia really noticed the purple hair of the girl. She couldn't even stop herself from reaching out to touch it. "Your hair is incredible. I wish I could dye my hair like that too" She complimented. She pulled away and frowned slightly as she looked at her own brown hair. While she liked her hair, and it matched her blue/green eyes, she wanted to know what she would look like if she wore her hair like this girl or any colour. But, at the bottom of her heart, the youngest Archer knew that she unlike this girl would never be allowed to do such a thing, mostly as it would be lost on most of her family, so it was just pointless to really try. But, it didn't mean that seeing it there didn't make her want to also have her hair like that. It was nice, and the girl really suited it. Smiling happily at her, she made the swing move slightly more, while nodding to the question. she lived close-ish. But, since her mother was magical, living close to something magic wasn't an issue. "Kind of.I live in Auckland, so not really close, but my ma's a witch, so it's not an issue" She replied with a small shrug. "What about you?" Lydia returned the question, thinking that was the right thing to do. She was good at making friends, though outside of school she barely spoke to them. "Me too, the school I go to was off today"

Moving slightly away from the other girl, the young Archer watched as the girl spun round and round. It was short by it seemed pretty cool. Perhaps a little dizzying. As much as Lydia wanted to do things that were dangerous, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to do that. It seemed a little much for her. However, it did also look like a lot of fun. This meant that Lydia knew she had to do it. It was just what she had to do. So, the girl did like what the other had. Lydia knew it wouldn't look as good as Rika, but mostly as the Archer was dressed less colourfully. She twisted the chain of the swing and then did just like the other girl had done. Lydia spun really fast. She couldn't help but let out a large giggle as she spun around. She laughed as she adjusted herself to a stop, beginning to just swing back and forth again. it was dizzying that was for certain. She could feel the world around her spinning. It was just an all round odd feeling, but she had to admit it, it was a lot of fun. "Wow!" She looked at the girl once her head felt more adjusted. "That was amazing!" She giggled loudly, before doing it again. Once again spinning incredibly fast. If only her mother could see her now. "What else is fun to do in this park?" Lydia asked Rika, since she had come up with the spinning, and other than standing up on the swing, the youngest Archer didn't know what else to do that would be fun. Other than just playing on the slide, or the swings as she would do normally with her mother around.
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[Erica Silversong]

Her hair was soft and silky, like purple candy floss. Whatever it was that made her hair purple it clearly hadn't damaged her hair one bit. "My mum was just happy that I wanted to do something creative. She works for the Department of Experimental Charms you see so she just loves creative stuff." Erica said. She like the girl's brown hair. It was shiny and it reminded her of chocolate. Erica had just one blond strand of hair which she had left which was always braided up and was decorated with a crystal dragonfly. Everything about her seemed to go against the norm even her eyes which where yellow, like hawk's. Erica was good at telling stories about why they where that way her friends as school having asked her about them on more than one occasion. She couldn't tell anyone too much about her family but because this girl was Wizarding she could say more. "I live in Brightstone with my aunt and uncle. Mum and Da had to leave me behind because they are away on business. It's alright because I get to play with my little cousin Cassy even though she can't play ball that well yet." She said nodding. She loved her little cousin Cassandra but Cassy tended to be too delicate about what she played. Even at the age of seven the young girl was posh beyond all reason. Erica one the other hand liked to dress in whatever she plucked out of the top the dresser and go outside to play with her toy broom or something.

Erica had started to swing faster and faster as Lydia took a couple of spins on the swing. She was about as high as she needed to go before she jumped off the swing just as it got to the highest point of the arch. Erica must have cleared six feet before landing on one foot and one knee. "STOP SECTORI SCUM YOU HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY ERICA OF THE SILVER SONG!" She yelled while taking her toy wand out of her pocket. Bubbles came out of the end like it was charmed to do. Erica giggled and came back to Lydia. "We could play Aurors. Or we can see how fast we can make the marry go round spin." She said pointing at the brightly colored disk with hand holds on it.

 

[Lydia Warrick]

Lydia glanced between her own hair and the girl's hair. It was pretty cool. The youngest Archer liked to think of herself as creative but she was clearly not as creative as this girl. She couldn't even imagine her mother letting her do something like that with her hair. While the youngest Archer had to admit that she did like her hair exactly the way it was there was just something amazing about being let to do something like that. Lydia knew that even trying to talk to her mother about it, she knew that no matter how hard she tried she would run into the issue that her mother would just say no. That didn't even mean that she would try it. Lydia knew when not to pick a fight with her mother. "Ah, that's cool!" She said in reply to where this girl lived. Lydia liked where she stayed it was nice. It was good for her. She had a number of friends, and it was private and small enough for their family. Plus it was also very close to her father's work, and since he was a muggle it suited them better. "how old is your little cousin?" she asked with a bright smile. Since living in New Zealand, Lydia had yet to see most of her cousins again. The only one she saw was her eldest cousin.

"All but one of my cousins live too far away for me to stay with them" The girl gave a small huff, but it wasn't really how she felt. She could barely remember most of her cousins at this point. It was as she continued to spin on the swing, that Lydia noticed Rika going higher and higher on the swing she was on, until she jumped of, and said something very loudly. A little startled by it, Lydia stopped the swing she was swinging on abruptly. She smiled at the girl when she came back over to Lydia. Listening to the two options that the girl gave, Lydia couldn't decide which was better, really what lydia wanted to do was both. "Can we spin first?" She happily getting up off the swing. While Lydia wanted to play aurors, spinning the merry go round seemed like the better first option. She hurried over to the round about and got herself to the side of it so that she could push. "You take the other side, let's see how fast this can go"
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This is not great, I'm sorry

 

[Erica Silversong]

"Cassy's seven and goes to primary with me but she's her own group of friends now that all posh and stuff." She said as she put her hand over her chest and gave a look of mock snootyness. Erica had nothing against being classy but it just wasn't her and Cassandra's friends where not very nice to her. She didn't mind it through. Erica had Marianna to hang out with and play tether ball or other things with even if Marianna tended to be too busy to do so most of the time. She hoped that she could have a good friend in Lydia. They where having run and it seemed like they would get along even more swimmingly in the future. "I have three other cousins that live very far away so I don't get to see so I know what that's like." She said with a frown. She didn't even know where they had been sent and she wanted so much to play with her cousin Jerico again even though he was a scrawny, clumsy boy.

Erica ran over to round about and held on to the other side. "Maybe we'll go fast enough to go into space!" Erica cried and started to push the disk clockwise so they could start building up speed. She had every intention of jumping on once they got going fast enough. Erica had gotten over the dizzyness from the swing and liked the floaty feeling she got after she spun around really fast even though sometimes it would make her fall. She was looking forward to play Aurors though and getting make believe bad guys. Her uncle was an Unspeakable, or so she had been told and often described stuff that the Aurors department was getting into even though it was really normally non of his business. Erica found it interesting and it got her imagination going.

 

[Lydia Warrick]

Had the young Archer known that this was what would happen when she finally went to the park herself she might've forced her mother to let her go alone earlier. But, in saying that Lydia was sure that this was the only time her mother would've let her. Most of the time she was just too busy with school to be able to. Which was annoying. She smiled happily as the girl talked about her little cousin. She nodded along as she spoke, laugh when the girl did her impression. Lydia found it funny despite never having met this other girl. When the girl went on to explain that she had three cousins that lived in a distant place, Lydia tried to count up how many she had. "Its so annoying isn't it? I really wish I could see them more often. They were all closer to my age" She gave a small sigh, and her tone was clearly her whining about it. She was perfectly happy with how things were in New Zealand, but her brother was 5 years older than her, and her cousin about 11-12, so there was a large age gap. She didn't mind too much, but it was what happened. They lived in New Zealand. While half her family lived in America, and the other half in Scotland.

Jumping off the swing she was joined by Erica at the roundabout. "I don't know about space, that's not a good place" Although knowing that they wouldn't actually get to space, it wasn't exactly something she wanted to think about. That being said, Lydia smiled at Rica, and then counted down, "3...2...1..go" She started running and pushing along with the other girl. They got off to a good speed. Lydia didn't focus too much on the other and just on what she was doing. Moving her feet as fast as she could while pushing, after a while it became too hard to keep pushing, and it was almost going faster than she was, so she jumped on to it, and continued to push it along with one foot, keeping up the speed, and trying to get it to go faster. The girl was laughing happily, though she felt a little dizzy. It didn't matter that much, they were going so fast, eventually Lydia grew tired, and moved backwards on the roundabout. Pushing herself to be firmly on it. looking round for Rika, "This is incredible" The girl exclaimed happily. This was so much better than when she was with her mother.
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[Erica Silversong]

Erica nodded. Her cousin Jerico was nine as well and they had always played together when they lived closer to each other but now that he was so far away Erica had only Cassy to play with and there where only so many times that Erica could stand a tea party. "Well I'd say we'd fly but we can do that with toy brooms. Or real brooms. I like to throw apples at hoops and pretend I'm chaser for the Tornadoes." She said happily. Erica liked Quidditch. She wasn't obsessed with the game by any means but she liked the energy that was put into it and was all for anything active. Even the harsh dueling training that she she had to undergo while she was still with her parents she was a fan of but she was no where near as good as Saffron or as passionate. Erica ran as Lydia to make sure she didn't make the other girl fall or fall herself.

When they where are a good enough speed Erica jumped on as well and let the round about spin with out help for bit. She also stuck her foot down and started to push when the round about started to slow laughing at the speed they where going at. To the onlooker it wasn't even that fast but to Erica this was the most fun she had had in a long time and it even better seeing as she was sharing it with someone else. Once her leg got sore she let the round about start to spin by itself while she climbed up the middle bulb and layed down it even though it was pressing a bit into her stomach. She watched the landscape pass her at decreasing speed then finally stop. "I know right? Now I feel all floaty!" Erica giggled while poking Lydia on top of the head to let her know where she was at. "Do you want a lemon drop?" She asked taking plastic wrapped sweet out the breast pocket of her coat. She had just remembered she had them them there because Rozen and Pentune where riding in the lower pockets as always.

 

[Lydia Warrick]

Lydia was always happy to be playing at the park, even when her mother was around, but this was just better. It was a little bit of rebellion that she could take part in. Though she had been allowed to do this. She nodded along as the other girl spoke. They could fly, that would be pretty amazing sure. Lydia had been learning to fly with her brother. Who every year just showed her enough to keep her happy until the next. She practiced whenever she could at her cousins house and actually thought she was getting pretty good. Good enough to play once she got to hogwarts. "That would be amazing! I love quidditch" She exclaimed excitedly. "My brother has been teaching me how to fly, I'm pretty good now!" She seemed very pleased with herself, though she was sure that Rica too was probably quite good and that was why she'd suggested it. But, Lydia had never thought she would learn until she got to Hogwarts, so it was a nice change. She liked being a little in advance. Her brother had promised to teach her more magical things when she got closer to the age of Hogwarts. Something she was very much looking forward to.

Spinning the roundabout round and round was good. She had really enjoyed that. It felt pretty amazing. It felt amazing to be lying down watching the sky above her just go around and round. It felt freeing. She wasn't sure how fast they'd been spinning, but it felt pretty amazing. Staring up at the sky, the smile on her face was huge. She had so much fun,and this wasn't even that crazy. She didn't even feel sick, like her mother had always told her. She was just feeling like she was floating. Just like the other girl was saying. She poked her on the head and Lydia giggled before moving to lie on her stomach. Looking at the girl, "I feel the same! Floaty..." She giggled slightly again, the young Archer watched as the girl took out sweets from her pocket. She generally didn't really get sweets, but this day was all about rebellion, doing things she wasn't normally allowed to do. "Yes please" She took one from the girl when she handed it, and quickly placed it in her mouth.

Lydia sat up and looked around them. She crawled to the end of the roundabout, and found a small thin stick lying not too far. The girl took it in her hand, and then went the small distance back to Rica. Holding the stick tightly in her hand, sucking on the sweet in her mouth. "Which side do you want to be on?" She asked her, Lydia would obviously want to be on the aurors, but since Rica had been the one to suggest the game, the polite thing to do would be to let her pick, and Lydia would take the other side.
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