Out and About

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera walked out to the gardens on the second day back from Christmas holidays. It was a warm sunny day in New Zealand, much different from the cold weather in London. Kiera was dressed appropriately for the day in a casual dress and boots. Her outfit was complete with her sparkly new engagement ring. Very few people at school had noticed it yet, though she was sure that as soon as Cynthia's and Erica's articles came out, they would be paying much more attention. Kiera was dreading it.

Her thoughts returned to the previous day when Andromeda had apologized to her. She was happy to make up with her best friend. She had missed the younger girl during the last term. Kiera had regretted the fact that Andy hadn't made it to her private wedding. However, she was sure Andy wouldn't miss the second one for anything in the world. Kiera was just pleased to have her friend back, especially now when she had lost Alex forever.

As she neared the gardens, Kiera decided to sit on a bench by a group of rather pretty flowers. She folded her hands in her lap as she admired the scenery. She sighed as her thoughts turned back to James. She was already missing her husband ridiculously. Everything had happened so fast that she just wanted to be near him to remind her it wasn't just a dream. Kiera smiled as she thought about James, her eyes going subconsciously to the pink diamond ring on her left hand.

 

[Alexis Richarde]

Alexis was missing her home and her lover very much but she had a book at her side to keep mer mind from the fact that it would be six whole months before she could be at home with him and that he would be spending time with Isabella because of their disgusting spawn. But these thoughts flitted away as she was greeted with a gentle summers breeze while walking through the lawn.

As it was sunny today and Alexis had gotten an awful sunburn, she decided to cover her arms up with a soft grey cardigen. She had been teased by both Izaak and Leah for falling asleep after a early surf right beneath the suns rays but it had been worth it. Of course the change from Australia to America had been a hard one when she went home to her parents for a few days to give them Christmas gifts and a Happy New Years and so they thought that she didn't think that she didn't want to celebrate her birthday without them.

But now she was back at Hogwarts and life would return to being overly hectic for anyone to handle. So Alexis found the Gardens and sat down on the ground by a tree, cracking her brand new book open and began reading to herself, of course not aloud.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera looked up from her thoughts as she saw Alexis walk by. Her friend looked unhappy and Kiera couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with Isabella, James' ex. Isabella had written James to warning him about a story coming into the papers telling a nasty lie. Cynthia Vandervoort was trying to pin Isabella's pregnancy on her James, turning the love triangle in a different direction. Kiera knew that the baby didn't belong to James. She never would have believed the article even without the Veela girl's help. However, Kiera had wondered at the time if it belonged to Alexis' boyfriend.

The other Gryffindor had told Kiera about Izaak's unfaithfulness to her. When you put two and two together, it appeared the child belong to Izaak. Kiera wondered if Alexis, or even Izaak knew about the child. She certainly wasn't going to be the first to tell Alexis. It wasn't Kiera's business. The Head Girl rose from where she was and headed towards Alexis.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Kiera asked politely, hoping her friend would say yes.

 

[Alexis Richarde]

Sucked into her novel, Alexis reluctantly tore her eyes away from the typed, black words that were written on the creamy paper up to Kiera Kingsley. She smiled warmly at her, she had really appreciated her being there for her during everything that had happened before Christmas break, so she nodded her head and closed the book between her fingers. "If you don't mind sitting on the ground," she said. She took her gaze away from Kiera momentarily as she heard the chirps of a bird before looking back at Kiera, awaiting her action.

As Alexis looked at Kiera something caught her eye and her mouth dropped in absolute shock. She couldn't believe she was seeing what she was in fact seeing. She blinked several times and strained her hazel eyes to the Head Girl's left hand. "Is that an engagement ring?" she blurted out, not realizing it had come out until her mouth had closed. "Oh my god! You are engaged. do you know that? Of course you do, what am I saying? To who? James?" she asked over eagerly and before Kiera could get a word in edge wise she took her hand and looked more closely at the ring, relief that she was not the one engaged at eighteen flowed through her. "You are going to be a Potter!" she said excitedly for the girl.

"When? Where?... Why? Those rumors weren't true about you being pregnant, right?" Alexis asked, not realizing that she could come off as impoilte, she was just more then curious about the whole situation and why the girl had not told Katalina and herself immediately. Surely Kat would have told her of this news, right? "No, you can't be pregnant, way too skinny," she said with a shrug of her tiny shoulders, beaming at her friend with curiousity.

There were times like this where Alexis stripped herself of her true personality and got very excited. Normally, she would frown on such things, pity the people because teenage marriages really never lasted. She was so very relieved that Izaak felt the same about her with that, she knew that he wouldn't propose to her anywhere near the present date and should she get pregnant she wouldn't be like that hussy and keep it at their young age. Alexis wanted to do things with her life, get proper muggle education at Oxford University and have a job, do something with her life before she even thought about having a family.

It wasn't that she didn't want a family, she was just not ready. Not ready to give up her future or Izaak's for at such a young age and not ready at all to be a wife or a mother. She was barely ready to be an owner of the puppy Izaak had gotten them for Christmas. God I love Izaak, she thought with a soft smile as she let the girl's hand free, only now realizing how she had just acted. "Sorry, seems I was a little eager," she giggled, her cheeks blooming with a rosy hue.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera laughed, shaking her head. "No, of course I don't mind sitting on the ground." she said with a smile. Kiera liked the other girl, even though she had just met her this year. Kiera pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Kiera was about to ask about the other girl's break when Alexis noticed her engagement ring.

Kiera was amused by all the sudden questions coming from the other Gryffindor girl. She felt horribly for not telling Alexis that she was engaged before the break. Everything had happened so fast and they had wanted to keep things quiet until they had the secret wedding. She never would have imagined that Alexis would have told anyone. She trusted the other girl.

Alexis finally finished with a blush and Kiera laughed. "Yes, I am engaged to James Potter." she started off by saying. "I got engaged during the Brightstone weekend before Christmas but we wanted to wait and tell our families before we told everyone else. I went to his house with him for Christmas." she explained. Kiera was sure Alexis would understand why they wanted it to be a secret until Kiera got back to school. After all, her dad was the President of Magic in the States.

Kiera sighed as Alexis talked about the rumors of her being pregnant. "No, I'm definitely not pregnant. That's not even possible." she said shaking her head. Kiera was way too small for that. Anyone that looked at her could tell. "But apparently, Cynthia Vandervoort is writing another article about me." she said rolling her eyes. Kiera didn't know that it was Cynthia who started the pregnancy rumors. It was ridiculous how much Cynthia was obsessed with James and Kiera. "Isabella wrote James over Christmas to warn him about the article. Cynthia thinks that Isabella is pregnant with James' child. Its going to be one of those stupid love triangle articles trying to frame James." she said, her face showing how upset she was. It was absurd. To Kiera's knowledge, James hadn't seen Isabella since they broke up.

 

[Alexis Richarde]

Alexis listened intently to Kiera's answers and smiled brightly for her friend. She nodded in understanding as her friend said that they wanted to tell their families before telling anyone else. As she mentioned that Cynthia Vandervoot was writing an article she rolled her eyes and muttered, "Leeches." She had never read the Prophet because they had bashed her and written stuff about her that she knew was completely untrue and anything else in it certainly wasn't. As she mentioned Isabella Alexis' face paled and her eyes flashed with hatred.

Alexis hated the creature and always would and did not appreciate at all that she was having her lover's child. They had both admitted that they had wanted the first time to have a child would be so far in the future but with each other, but now that wouldn't be able to happen. "I'm surprised that creature has enough decency to tell you and James," she said bitterly, through gritted teeth. "She is pregnant with Izaak's baby," she croaked painfully.

As if it wasn't bad enough that they had slept together, Isabella was in love with Izaak, was probably going to use her veela charm on him and hurt their mending relationship even more. Alexis rubbed eyes before letting out a frustrated groan that was mixed with a sigh. Six more months, she thought.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera caught the hatred in Alexis' eyes as she heard Isabella's name but she didn't blame the other girl. Kiera was no fan of Isabella herself. The older girl had hurt James tremendously and Kiera certainly wasn't a fan of anything that caused him pain. Then again, if she hadn't hurt him, there was a good chance he would now be married to Isabella instead of Kiera. It would have changed everything. Kiera sighed. "I suppose she did it for James. They did love each other." she said reluctantly.

Kiera wasn't surprised as Alexis confirmed that Izaak was indeed the father. Kiera gave Alexis a sad look. "I thought that might be when the girl sent the letter." she admitted. "Alexis, I am so sorry. This must be killing you." Kiera said, leaning over and giving her friend a hug. If anyone knew how much she longed to be with James, it would be Alexis. Kiera had a feeling the other Gryffindor wanted to be with Izaak just as badly. "What is Izaak going to do about it?" Kiera asked curiously.

 

[Alexis Richarde]

Alexis would not believe that the creature had any human decency, she couldn't, if she did she would surely be broken and have no hope that Izaak would stay with her instead of Isabella. She loved Izaak more then was probably healthy and during Novermber she had been broken hearted and depressed just at the thought of loosing him and if she did, just like being with Zaire, it would be the end of her. She needed him and right now she didn't have as much confidence to say that he needed her as well, despite his words. "It is," she admitted as she hugged her friend in return.

As the question about Izaak and what he was to do with this whole situation, Alexis shrugged meekly. "He doesn't really know. I mean either way he is a father," she cringed, "Izaak is going to be there for the spawn and Isabella during this whole thing I suppose. I support him being there for the child but would I seem horrible if I admitted that I hate that they will be spending time together? We are together and she has done nothing but hurt our relationship. Yes I screwed up but she," she trailed off into uncoherent grumbles before she looked up at Kiera softly and appreciativly.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera didn't know what she would do if James had gotten another girl pregnant. He had remained true to her even before they were official with each other. She wondered if he ever thought about Isabella anymore. She had been lucky that the two hadn't bumped into each other while Kiera was at school. Kiera wondered if that would have changed things at all. She shook her head, getting back to Alexis.

Kiera felt horrible for Alexis. She shook her head. "I'm so sorry Alexis. I don't know how you can deal with this. It would kill me too." she said understanding how Alexis could hate Isabella. "You know I don't blame you at all. I would hate it...hate it if James was spending time with her." she said grimacing. "I suppose your just going to have to trust him." she said, knowing that would be hard. Isabella and Izaak would now be sharing a kid. That would be hard on Alexis and Izaak.

 

[Alexis Richarde]

Alexis sighed, it wasn't like she didn't trust Izaak. She could trust him with her life and more importantly her heart it was the thing that she couldn't. "I trust him, I don't trust her. She'll use her charm on him because she loves him and he'll forget all about me." She frowned deeply and said with an amusing roll of her hazel eyes, "This is what I get for dating someone so perfect." She rested her head on her friend's shoulder as she looked down at the girl's engagement ring.

"Love is so hard sometimes. I think I've payed my dues why is this happening to Izaak and I?" she asked rhetorically. Alexis sighed and said, "Sorry. I don't mean to be such a downer." She smiled and asked curiously, "So did he go down on one knee or something?" She didn't want to fill her mind and her soul with such things at the moment because she knew that if she did, it would probably happen.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera listened to Alexis' problem with a sad look on her face. She felt horrible for the girl and Izaak too. They would have to deal with this for the rest of their lives. Kiera put her arm around Alexis as the girl placed her head on her shoulder. "I don't think she likes using her Veela charm though from what I remember of her. So maybe she won't do that." Kiera said hopefully. She had met Isabella a few times when she had been at Hogwarts New Zealand. It had been before she met James.

Kiera nodded her head. Love was hard. She was lucky that James had pledged his commitment to her but she knew they would still run across their fair amount of problems. No one was perfect. She remained silent until Alexis changed the subject. Kiera smiled as the other Gyffindor asked about the proposal. "No, he didn't. It was actually out of the blue. It completely surprised me. We were um..hiding from Vandervoort when he told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him." she said with a smile on her face.