Outside the HS tents.

[Sakura Gemini]

Sakura was tired from all the constant walking, chatting and friend making. As much as she absolutely loved it she had never realised before how much energy it used. As tempting as it had been to go flying she was quite happy to just sit here on the bench outside the girls tent that Professor Davis had put for them. It was a lovely day and instead of wearing her usual jeans and tshirts after class hours, she had left on her short school skirt and rolled up the sleeves to her blouse. Undoing the tie from around her neck and opening the top two buttons, she also let down her long hair and leaned back on the bench with her even longer legs stretched out before her.

It really was a lovely day. She had left Bella go to the library to do what her friend did best, tutor James and study. Alot had happened really since they had arrived but the one thing that had preyed on her mind constantly was the fact that though herself and Asher had talked, they hadn't actually broached the subject of Noah. Almost as if they were both skirting over it or hoping it would not need to be raised. Sakura knew they would need to though, if they were going to survive this year together at all.

Sakura knew that Noah would always have a place in her heart and would probably have that piece till the end of time. But how could he ever know what or how good they could be again, if he didn't know what else was out there first? Something her grandmother had once said to her, came flooding back now.
'there are plenty of fish in the ocean love you just need to use the right bait'
laughing to herself she knew that couldn't be the right phrase, her grandmother had said alot of them. It definitely had something about fish in it though, didn't it?

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher walked out of the castle after her class and let out a large sigh. She made her way to the girl's tent and was met halfway by Acucio. "You're going to make this a habit aren't you?" she said affectionately as she picked him up. She kept making her way to the tent but stopped a few yards away when she saw Sakura sitting outside. They had spoken...somewhat...and they were getting along, but Asher wasn't sure if that was only because they hadn't talked about Noah. Asher was really beginning to like Sakura, of course she still had strong feelings for Noah, but it had gotten to a point that she thought she'd be able to accept his decision once it was made....maybe.

Asher resumed her path toward the tent. "Hi Sakura!" she said cheerfully as she approached.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

The sun was warm and so delicious on her skin, she was tempted to put on her swimsuit but thought better of it, didn't want to frighten the natives completely. A friendly voice stirred her out of her musings and looking over she saw Asher coming across the path.
"Hi Ash, how are you doing then? Great about Nina huh?" she smiled, a quick glance around her told her that they were actually on their own perhaps they would actually have that talk she knew they had both been putting off.

 

[Asher Lurken]

"Yea! I'm really happy for her...but it also would have been nice to have the chance too." Asher admitted thoughtfully. She noticed that this was the first time that she and Sakura had been alone since arriving in New Zealand. Maybe this would be a good time to talk... she thought.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

"Oh I know exactly what you mean, I have been putting off writing the letter home only as I know they'll be thrilled to bits that I didn't get chosen. Another Hufflepuff though didn't see that one coming" she smiled and patted the bench beside her moving up to let Asher sit down.

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher looked at Sakura's hand as she patted the bench beside her. She hesitated for a split second and then took her seat setting Acucio in her lap. "Yea...it must be some unwritten tradition. I don't know what I'm going to tell Abbey...she was so excited about the possibility of saying her sister was a TriWizard champion..." Asher shook her head slightly.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

"I wonder if Professor Pinkerton knows yet about Nina. She'd be thrilled to bits one of her own house made it" Sakura knew she was only making small talk but she was nervous about how to start the ball rolling it didn't matter that she was the older girl, the subject matter was just too tricky to broach.

 

[Asher Lurken]

"She'll be very proud! Professor Mortis is going to be somewhat disappointed that a Slytherin didn't make it..." Asher chuckled. "He put a lot pf pressure on Noah..." she mumbled. Asher knew that the conversation would turn to Noah eventually. Like a bandage right...quick and painless? she thought.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

And there it was the name they would have skirted around for ages if possible.
"Really? Annoying man I wish he'd leave Noah alone. I mean Noah puts enough pressure on himself to do good without Festus hassling him." she eyed the ground near her feet. Right if I don't do this now we might never get another chance.
"Asher about what happened before we left home. Isabella was wrong to speak out the way she did, she's just overly protective of me. I know if she got a moment alone with you herself she'd apologise."

 

[Asher Lurken]

"Yea...Noah works very hard." Asher turned her eyes from Sakura shamefully when she began speaking of the morning they had left. She simply nodded in agreement to what Sakura was saying. After a moment of silence Asher spoke. "What Isabella said may have been said in the wrong way but she was right. I was being rude. I just have always had jealousy issues. And it didn't help that this is the first time I've felt this way about anyone. I shouldn't have acted the way I did toward you and I'm sorry..." she said her voice raspy and on the verge of tears.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

Sakura leant over slightly and nudged Asher playfully.
"It's ok, he's worth being madly jealous over. Not alot of boys are but Noah is, he's one of the good ones. I guess I should have known that other girls would see him the way I always had, it was stupid of me to think I had the monopoly on him or on having feelings for him".

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher looked up as Sakura nudged her. She smiled brightly. "He is pretty special..." she mumbled blushing brightly. "I really should have thought about the the fact that the way I feet was the same you feel. Again...jealousy issues...they tend to alter my judgement and common sense..." she said.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

Sakura simply nodded her head she had been no stranger to the green eyed monster when she had been dating Noah even though he had never given her cause to worry.
"There's a saying that if you love something let it go, if it was yours to begin with it will return to you, if it doesnt then it was never yours to begin with. I guess I always thought myself and Noah would get back together at some point but I shouldn't have been holding all my hopes on that, which really only began resurfacing over the last few weeks. My feelings for him will neve change but its time I guess I move over and let him choose for himself. I have a feeling that his choice isn't me by the way."
She hoped this would give Asher some kind of hope, Saks had seen the way Noah looked at Asher and knew that once upon a time he had looked at her like that too.

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher's head snapped up when Sakura admitted that she didn't think she was Noah's choice anymore. Her violet eyes were filled with a mixture of hope and saddness. She wanted so badly to know that what Sakura had said was true but she also was hit with the thought of how she would feel if Noah would choose someone else. "Sakura...no matter what Noah's choice we'll both find someone...and I hope we can still be friends..." she said watching Sakura's face.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

Sakura laughed extending her hand to Asher.
"I have no problems what so ever with us being friends, I quite like the idea actually but the other? Good grief I have no interest in tying myself to any boy just yet. Saying that they aren't a bad looking bunch around here" she laughed again, it is too soon or is it? Could I really put myself out there again? Being 13 was different, anything seemed possible now I'm older the whole dating thing just seems too complicated.
Sakura looked out towards the lakefront just managing to get a glimpse of it from the bench they were sitting on.
"Asher make yourself indespencible to him. Offer him a Bertie Botts" she grinned remembering his love for the awful things.

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher took Sakura's hand and smiled. At least we can be friends... Then Asher's attention was caught when Sakura said something to the affect that she wasn't interested in a relationship at the moment. Asher looked at her confused. What does that mean? Could she really be giving Noah up? Asher's questions were somewhat answered with Sakura's next words. "Asher make yourself indespencible to him. Offer him a Bertie Botts" she said with a grin. Asher smiled her eyes dancing. "Ok." she responded. She was still unsure what this all meant. Never hurt to ask I suppose... "Sakura...why are you telling me this, you like Noah and have every right to withhold hints like that?" The curiosity in Asher's voice was strong...she just wasn't expecting to get advice on how to be closer to Noah from the one person who she thought had the same desire.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

"All's fair in love and war. I prefer an even playing field or is that battle field" she smiled, "I don't know how he feels, I mean I had been under the illusion that we would come here and see how things panned out for us, take things slow though but that all changed when you entered the equation. I've been boyfriendless for a bit now, another while won't kill me. At least I won't be distracted from studying for my OWL's".

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher hadn't realized just how much she had affected the relationship between Noah and Sakura. "I never meant to interfere that much...I had no idea." she muttered. "I'm sorry that I managed to ruin your plans..." Asher really had many more issues than just jealousy. Guilt didn't agree with her very much either...Asher could feel guilty about anything.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

"Ash you didn't ruin my plans, they were kind of up there in the air anyhow. Honestly you didn't interfere, don't say it that way. If Isabella hadn't told everyone how you felt, then trust me Noah would have found out at some point. A girl in love can't hide it for very long you know" she smiled at the younger girl, truly amazed with herself for being so calm and collected about it all. Does this mean I'm over him? Did it really take someone else liking him, him so obviously liking her for me to get my head together at last?

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher chuckled lightly. "In all honesty I really wasn't doing my best to hide it was I?" Asher's eyes flashed at the word 'love'. She had never trully felt it before this year. She knew that she felt love for Abbey...but that was different, she was her sister. Could what she was feeling for Noah really be a form of love? Asher blushed at the thought. "You're being really...nice about this whole situation. I don't deserve it...but thank you. I'm glad that we can be friends." she mumbled.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

"Oh I'm being nice now but wait until we're up against each other in Quidditch" she laughed, "I'm glad too actually Asher. You're alright once you get to know you really."
Laughing again she looked out across the expanse of lawn infront of them.
"I think it would have been a very long year if we hadn't sorted this out between us but whatever you do when you get back to Scotland, do not let Mortis know that we're friends he hates Gryffindors with a passion."

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher laughed. "Is that a challenge...you have to remember I'm going to be the one aiming bludgers at you." she teased with a wink. "And Professor Mortis can just get over himself...besides he's more worried about Noah's dealings than mine. It's so hard for him...Professor Mortis puts so much pressure on him to be the very best at everything...IT isn't fair. We both know Noah works hard and he does very well in everything...the extra pressure is just adding insult to injury."

 

[Sakura Gemini]

"Oh I've come a cropper to enough Slytherin bludgers one more won't kill me" she smiled then considered what Asher had said about Noah and Mortis. She had always noticed the inconsistency herself in his dealings with every student to Noah. It was undoubtedly fair.
"Noah won't say a word about it of course, he could easily complain about how unfair Mortis is to the headmaster but he'd probably see that as a sign of weakness and disloyal to his house. Mortis really needs to back up a bit though."

 

[Asher Lurken]

Asher laughed with Sakura. When Sakura agreed that Mortis was unfair towards Noah, Asher simply nodded. Professor Mortis put so much extra pressure on Noah. She knew that it was because he trully believed Noah had the ability to be the very best...and in most cases he was. But Asher knew the toll it took on him and wished that Professor Mortis would let up some.

Asher glanced at Sakura out of the corner of her eye. "Um, Sakura..." she stuttered. "I wanted to ask you...and you don't have to tell me! But I wanted to ask what happened between you and Noah. I mean, you seem to care about each other so much, but apparently it wasn't enough to fix whatever the problem had been..." Asher's sentence trailed off. She knew that she had probably over stepped her boundaries.

 

[Sakura Gemini]

Sakura smiled looking down at her feet before answering. This was something she had asked herself again and again.
"We began dating when we were 13 so it was inevitable that we'd break up. It wasn't a bad breakup or anything we just drifted really, school and quidditch, life I guess got in the way. Being in different houses didn't help us either but we were young, too young I guess. In a way the way we spilt up meant we were never angry or alienated one another in any way. I still care alot about him and he I know feels the same. We look out for each other always, I guess its true what they say, 'You never forget your first love'. We only began, well I only began seeing him through my over hormonal teenage eyes again recently. I can't speak for Noah but I know that every where I went if he was there, I simply couldn't take my eyes off of him. It was like an agony, knowing that once he had been mine and for no apparent reason other than life and time, we broke up. Now we're just friends and I think... I'm grateful for that much".