One is enough company, Two is a crowd

[Amzurah Archer]

The bleak winter weather should have had her firmly installed by the fireside, engrossed in the Quibbler in peace and quiet but her mothers frantic burrowing about the new house was quite frankly driving Zura insane. She had effectively grown up here in New Zealand until the age of five when her parents had decided to sell up and move to a whole new way of life and country. The country of choice had been Finland and considering none of them could speak the language had met with some hilarious situations very early on. It was not until she had turned eleven that she had discovered her father had been fired from his position as editor from the Prophet but as many years had since passed she was glad it had been. Their life in Finland though cold and bracing was pleasant. She made a handful of friends, a tight knit circle of them and all of whom subsequently attended Durmstrang with her.

But life had a way of throwing hillocks in the way of a rolling stone and their ideal life soon came to a crashing end. Her father passed away and eventually her mother began speaking of returning to New Zealand where they had family at least. Family which consisted of an aunt who seemed insane and an uncle who simply looked insane. Zura was not happy about this turn of events at all but at least her mother had decided to wait until after her OWLs before they moved. Now so it was after doing relatively alright on the exams she had to bid farewell to her beloved friends and move with her mother and brother to New Zealand.

They now lived just on the outskirts of a small village called Brightstone, her mother had managed to find a job working at one of the local restaurants while she continued her own minor journalistic career late at night. Her mother had been a freelance journalist with the quibbler for years now and after discovering the reason for her families move from New Zealand to begin with, The Quibbler was now Zura's paper of choice.

Well used to the cold she wore merely a jumper, a pair of jeans, a bobbled hat and a scarf with matching gloves. Warm snow boots on her feet and a body warmer. She preferred dressing in muggle clothing for the cold weather there was definitely more variation in her view. Sitting now on a park bench that had been previously warmed by a rather rotund gentleman, Amzurah began to read her copy of the Quibbler.

 

[Noah Blakewood]

Noah had been rather kept up at home with his parents. The weather out was cold, and despite loving the cold, he was more or less in the state where he had trouble waking up from his long, warm and comfortable sleeps. It was however when his mother came barging up the stairs and opening his door quickly that he jumped out of bed. Grasping the blankets and rapping them around himself due to the fact he was only in his boxer shorts, Noah grunted, "Whats wrong with you woman!" before of course, being clobbered over the head with a copy of the daily prophet. Squinting as the paper hit, Noah waited for his mother to leave the room so he could get up and get changed. In fact he had no idea how he was so comfortable and warm with only something on he'd usually wear in summer. It was understandable for the reason of wearing these garments. After the confrontation with the Death Eater the night before, Noah had been rather sore and couldn't so much as get the energy or strength to put on his regular sleeping garments.

Throwing some comfortable black colored pieces on, Noah placed on his shoes. It was rather chilly, and with that in mind, he didn't plan on freezing - no matter how silly he looked. Walking down the stairs and grabbing a piece of toast that rest on a plate in the bench, Noah smirked as he noticed his dad coming his way. "You put that back boy! If you want it you can sit and eat with us!" but Noah was out of there in no time shouting, "Love you!" back in their direction. He had made shore that his wrist Holster was on for his wand before he left as well, but then again, even when he went to sleep, it didn't seem he took it off. Walking rather quickly through the cold weather, Noah found himself finished with the toast in no time. However it was when he approached a park bench after a decent walk, that Noah noticed a girl - around the same age as him - sitting out in the cold. He didn't know too many people that would come out in this weather in fact. Kida was busy with Olivanders, Andy was being, well Andy. But then again, Andy and Noah weren't two to so much as meet and great on friendly terms - at least not these holidays.

Slowly moving closer to the girl that had herself seated on the bench, Noah took the colder spot next to her. Looking at what she was reading, he couldn't help but start the conversation and occasion with a rather curious statement. "That stuff is rather full of rubbish." it was quietly said, so it wouldn't startle the girl so much. She didn't appear to be from Australia or England the girl before him, hence he didn't want to scare her back to wherever she came from. She was pretty, beautiful hair, beautiful skin - the whole lot. What was Noah thinking? He had just got over Andy and the deal that occurred at School and here he is commenting mentally on how a girl that he just met looks. "Sorry, I'm Noah. Noah Blakewood." he smiled in a welcoming fashion. "And you are?" he asked her still possessing a smile on his face.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Zura laughed with abandon at the article written by her own mother, she had always loved her style and wit able to use words to bring laughter and hope while others seemed to use words like a blade, cutting down people wherever the went. Wiping the tears from her eyes as she moved on to the latest installment of The World according to Bainbridge Altgood, a witch with the worse case of animal phobia that the world had ever seen or in this case read about. Each week she spoke about whatever creature she came up against whether it was the accidental collision with a runespoor (though this snake is most venomous) or the chance meetin with a hinkypunk. Whatever the creature she was allergic and would write the most hilarious articles though all fact based. How to cure yourself of certain bites and what to do after particular stings. It was all very fascinating, so much so that she did not notice the boy sitting himself down on the bench with her.

At least not until he spoke. She could feel the hairs rise on the back of her neck as she lowered her paper just a fraction and looked at the boy. Just who did he think he was? Choosing to ignore him she sighed when he then introduced himself, it was then she saw what trash he was reading and she bristled considerably.
"Oh don't apologize for being ignorant whatever you do, apologizing for being you is more than enough" she countered flicking out her paper and immersing herself in its pages once more but holding it in such a way as to hide the boy from her view. Childish perhaps but he had irked her considerably and though he asked who she was Zura merely muttered from her place behing the Quibbler.
"A person who only reads the truth".

 

[Noah Blakewood]

There was Noah, sitting next to this girl who simply ignored him. Quite honestly it was an insult in its self. His words against the Quibbler were more or less were to start conversation; it seemed that the plan had failed miserably. After his introduction, Noah grunted at her words to follow but said nothing. He wasn't one that liked to be rude, nor did he want to make things worse with this new girl. Cocking an eye brow at her next words, Noah sighed. "Well hello to you, truth reader" Noah spoke dully, examining the Quibbler a little closer.

Looking at her face, Noah went to speak again, "Look if I offended you, I'm sorry for being myself." Noah said smugly; It had a smart-Alick touch, well hidden however. If this girl was more or less going to act like the five letter 'B' word, Noah could play along with something much similar.
"But.... Just to clarify, it is a load of bogus." he smiled kindly, clearly egging the girl on to start something. Sure it would make for an interesting day, so why not? It was then that he clicked - this girl was going to more than likely be attending Hogwarts. Great. Another miserable girl to throw into the bunch.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Zura might have thought better of her hasty reaction and lowered her paper with her customary smile, extended her hand and said something as inane as 'let bygones be bygones' but the boy Noah would not cease to aggravate. As if he had risen that day with the soul purpose in mind of simply one thing, to find a single individual and annoy the bludgers out of her. Well he had succeeded and it irked Zura greatly that he had been able to do so with very little effort. Almost as if he had known her kryptonite well in advance.

His altered greeting was not said with humor, his apology was half-arsed no effort at all and then he continued to lay siege to her newspaper. Seeing red she stood up, all 5'8" of her slender frame. She was quite striking with her short cropped spikey hair but very feminine face beneath. Her tanned skin seemed more expressive against the backdrop of snow as she glared at him with piercing green eyes.

"A load of bogus? What is worth reading in your paper shall we take a look?" she reached over and taking the disgusting thing from his hands opened it up and folding it at the biggest loudest article that up chucked in your face was the latest and most blatant set of lies by Cynthia Vandervoort all scandal and incriminations about Aurors and their cover ups. It disgusted her completely and she thrust it at him.

"The prophet has been making money on lies and misery for too long. The Quibbler might seem like a trashy tabloid to the uneducated but every article is based on fact if you took the time to actually read it. It keeps things light hearted because there's enough crap in this world without their adding to it" she folded up her own paper before pulling down the ear flaps on her hat.

"But from an avid reader of the daily liar what more could I have expected from you" she sighed and turned to walk away. It was a shame really he was cute but looks only got a person so far. Intellect and bravery got you the rest of way and that boy didn't seem to have much of either. She wondered briefly was he of Hogwarts and if he was she already imagined him in Slytherin.

 

[Noah Blakewood]

There was this girl that sat beside Noah, who he hadn't even gotten to know the name of and she was already throwing insult's his way. Noah was a patient person, a calm person - an easy person to put it simply. He could deal with peoples opinions, just as much as he could hand out his own opinions. Noah was the type of guy that was hardly offended, and if he was, it was something to do with friends in school or a certain Missus Blakewood (or soon to be). In Noah's mind, Andy was still his future crush, his future partner. She was everything that he wanted in a girl. She was kind (when she wanted to be), smart (once again, when she wanted to be) and she had some wit to her.

In no time, Noah found his mind drifting to the event at hand. The girl stood up, rather short compared to Noah himself, however, she appeared rather intimidating due to the fact that she seemed almost patriotic to the Quibbler. In the snow, she stood out like a candle in a dark room. Really, she had that kind of skin and the garments she was wearing brought her out of the background that little bit more. Out of all these things however, Noah couldn't take his eyes off of one thing; her eyes. They were a piercing green, splitting the paleness that surrounded them.

Her look was soon accompanied by her voice. She snatched the piece of paper from Noah, flicking to see the biggest story that was plastered on it. After she seemed to have a good enough look, the disgust was clear on the girl's face. With the thrust of the paper back in his direction, Noah knew she had found exactly what she needed to counter-act his argument against the Quibbler. Noah stayed quiet the entire time. He let her get the steam off her chest, after all that often helped people in situations like this. Beneath the apparent charming looks, Noah had brain; unlike some of those mindless wonders that attended Hogwarts.

Watching as the girl turned away to head off, Noah thrust himself off the seat and forward in her direction. Placing his hand on her shoulder, as if to turn her slightly, Noah smiled, "It may help you to know I'm not a reader of the Prophet. I don't read any type of Media. I needed something to read so I nicked it from Dad at home. I'm more of a books guy." his smile still shining, his teeth showing, almost as white as the snow that surrounded them. "Sure, maybe I was out of line about some of the things that I said about the Quibbler - but then again, getting you eased into peoples attitudes here isn't all that bad." the apology this time packed a little more emotion; in fact a lot more in comparison to the other. It was then that he had to break that awkwardness, "Please. What's your name?" Noah invited her to sit back down. He wasn't going to let this relationship blow away in the wind, not like the friendship he had allowed to vanish with Andy.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

So her mother was a journalist for The Quibbler and her dead father had once been fired from the Prophet, as she walked away she wondered why she was being so ridiculous but she was stubborn and highly strung. It was her nature, too damn feisty for her own good. Of course she didn't get very far before the boy's hand touched her shoulder. A slight tingle ran through her and she tensed up. She hadn't much experience with boys having only dated once and though they had promised each other that they would be soul mates and would marry some day, she didn't think that a relationship between two seven years old counted for much. The tingle alarmed her a bit but his words she knew were meant to be in some way an apology. Another.

Zura was pigheaded but not completely stupid and knew holding grudges didn't get a person very far in this world. That of course didn't stop the massive grudge she held always for the cheap writing of the prophet. His hand on her shoulder made her turn slightly. Turning the rest of the way without his help she looked up into his face, his rather close face. He was more than cute really, he was down right gorgeous and again she felt that tingle run through her. Teenage hormones were pants, never made any sense to her and she knew that if she started liking this of all guys she would seriously lose her lunch.

"Getting me eased into peoples attitudes here?" what in the world? she eyed him curiously not caring now that they were standing close to one another. Another few inches and they'd be invading each others dance space, "Just what is that suppose to mean exactly?"

As if she now knew that the finding out of her name seemed of paramount importance to him she with-held it another while. Clarification was needed first because if he had just insulted her again then the closer they were the better, her knee had a better chance of meeting its mark from here.

 

[Noah Blakewood]

Noah's hand on the girls shoulder was his first real contact with a young lady since Andy. Then again, their touching was more a forced kiss - a forced kiss that got him a cracked lip and an almost broken nose. It was then that it triggered something in Noah, forcing him to quickly retract his hand as the girl had completley turned around. "I, Uh, Sorry if you don't like physical contact." he quickly blurted. It had meaning - more so then anything he had actually said today. The fact that it brought memories back of the day that he and Crispin had come face to face ensured emotion was in his words. He didn't want to make a girl feel the way he made Andy that day - not ever again.

Looking into the girl's eyes, Noah still found himself captivated in them. And here he was thinking that he would never find a set of eyes like these. They were in Noah's books a biog detail and inner look at some ones personality. A strange theory really, and thus far, it hadn't worked too well for Noah ; at least as far as Romantic relationships went. It was then that something in his mind seemed to click. Why the hell was he so interested in Romance all of a sudden? A year or so ago, love was an eek word that broke up friendships - now it was something that Noah craved to have.

When the girl spoke, Noah nodded, "Yup. Getting you eased into people here." he possessed a big welcoming smile. Similar to the one that he possessed when he was greeting a new friend - after all, thats what he was doing right now, wasn't it? "But that, I mean - your clearly not from here? Right?" Noah waited a moment before continuing, "What I'm saying is, people are more or less - more outspoken here then other places. Believe me, I'm talking from experience. Then again, you've probably gathered the outspoken part by me insulting the Quibbler, huh?" there was a tinge of sadness as he mentioned the Quibbler subject again. It was only a moment ago that it had heated an argument - something that Noah wanted to forget, and here he was bringing it up again. "Then again, I'm foreign myself. The locals have rubbed off on me." he smiled, his cheeks turning a little red from the cold; with the aide of some embarrassment.

Noah hadn't realized how close the two were in fact until now. The close distance didn't bother him to much however it would if she gave him one right in the kisser. Then again he was no stranger to such things.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She wasn’t adverse to his hand having touched her shoulder at all which was strange in itself; there had been enough boys back at Durmstrang who had been hauled bodily to the ground in a judo manoeuvre for doing less. She actually blushed a little because of it though she stood her ground watching him, waiting for his explanation.

“You know you tend to assume a lot don’t you? Actually I was born here” Zura wanted to watch him pale or redden with embarrassment at his vernacular for getting things wrong. At least he didn’t think she was outspoken that had to be a plus for her. Too many people thought that of her already. A smile began to creep along her mouth until finally as he continued to warble onwards and upwards she broke into laughter.

“Ok stop already. If I tell you my name will that guarantee safe passage out of the park without too much more of that” waving her hand before his mouth as if to indicate his constant chatter, the tips of her fingers brushed his lips. Her eyes widened, pulling her hand back and stuffing it into her pocket demanding inwardly that her body start behaving itself she glanced at him apologetically.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to … well, you know” wow her grasp of the English language around him was amazing, as if all the literature she had devoured over the last few years had not amounted to anything. She may has well have been reading some children’s ditties.
“I’m Amzurah, Amzurah Archer but you can call me Zura. The locals do” she grinned.

 

[Noah Blakewood]

The hand touch on the girl's shoulder was something that Noah himself felt a little uncomfortable with doing - but that was until he noticed that the attractive young Lady had actually blushed. She had blushed under the hand of Noah Blakewood, hardly the heart-throb of Hogwarts in this past year. A smirk drifted onto Noah's face, it was discrete, but enough for any one paying enough attention to notice.

"I guess I do assume a lot." Noah smirked with an innocent but embarrassed smile. "Its with good intention though. If i assume, the ladies have to chat with me in the hope to correct me right?" Noah chuckled slightly. It was a joke but then again could work. "Take you for example," he began, twiddling his thumbs together. "You want to prove me wrong - hence - engaging the two of us in conversation. Everything I have to say is wrong, because in your eyes, I'm like all those other jerk-off's out there who are just trying to hook up with the new hot girl in town." Noah explained briefly. It was all a bunchy of assumptions again, but none the less, he had expected a lot of the Lads in New Zealand to have flirted with this beautiful lady. Then again, she was born here, so not so much a new Girl.

"Indeed it will." he smiled along with her laughter. Feeling her fingers brush his lips, Noah blushed. It was a feeling that he had never had the pleasure of having. A beautiful young lady like Amzurah touching him on the lips like that. He had dated before, don't get him wrong, but no one he classified as beautiful or amazing, not like this girl. He had told so many young ladies that they were the most attractive specimen that he had seen walking the Earth so many times; all of these lies. However if he was to tell this young lady such things, there would be no lies. "It's fine." he nodded at her apology.

Listening into her greeting, Noah smiled, "Nice to meet you Zura. Attending Hogwarts this year are we? he questioned with a smile. She said would giving a name guarantee safe passage without much more of this, not without any at all. Noah picked out those small little details, especially when he was interested in engaging in a long and heart-felt conversation; if thats what you could call this.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Zura listened as he began to ramble a little shaking her head as her eyes got wider by the minute. Finally she chuckled.
"You can't help yourself really can you? It's like some kind of disease of the mouth or something" she purposefully leaned closer invading personal space to look closely at his mouth. She had to admit it was a beautifully formed mouth, blinking
this thought and the train it was taking well out of reach she stepped back again.
"I'd advice you get it seen too. I mean how many teenage boys really go around spouting things like 'the new hot girl in town'?" another bubble of laughter as she pulled off her mulitcolored hat and ran a hand through her short black hair.

She slowly began to move along, giving Noah enough time to trod along side of her.
"If you must know most boys are afraid of me and I tolerate no fools. I engaged you not in conversation but was simply voicing my opinion about your ignorance relating to the newspapers. I'm sure not everything you say is wrong. I don't know you well enough to ascertain whether you make a hobbie of chatting up strange girls who snap at you or not" she chanced a glance his way then, a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she turned herself around and began walking backwards.
"Yes I'll be attending Hogwarts in September. So Noah... were you trying to hook up with the new girl in town?"

Amzurah's fingers fiddled with the bobble on her hat, her gaze drifting back to him every few moments or so. She didn't usually flirt with boys, did not see the point in the exercise much at all but mainly that was because the boys at Durmstrang were nasty, horrible selfish fools but Noah seemed decidedly different and she liked different, alot.