Red Lips and Rosy Cheeks

[Marlene Cox]

Travelling alongside muggles could be difficult at times but you did love every aspect of travel aside from the pesky price of flights. If it weren't for the fact that your birthday was meant to be celebrated during the road trip you would have happily changed the dates to one where you could meet your friends after apparating to avoid getting muggle money spent. It was tricky to find in your neck of the woods, after all. Still Marlene grinned as she had taken the flight to America, a country that seemed to be so turned into itself in such an interesting way. Just as a backpacking trip across Europe was expected for many young adults a road trip was just as important and it was no wonder that all five friends had taken to reading Hunter S. Thompson and Jack Kerouac and taking a ridiculous amount of photos with oversized items on their phones. Being sixteen still, Marlene could not take a stab at driving the car yet and so she sat in alternating passenger seats and when stopping, making sure to pump the gas so as to offer something but the girl also felt alienated without her wand and would sneak to just hold it, although she could not yet use it freely.

When they took breaks to explore certain parts of a city or town she would do the same and be sure to find a rumoured place haunted, by witch trials or something similar in hopes to see another witch or wizard to find a place she could borrow an owl to send her mail overseas, as tough as the journey would be for the birds. It was not often that the dark haired witch did this as she was happy to be in the present and taking full control of her path alongside her friends because every single one of them, herself included, were worried about their upcoming graduations and post-secondary plans. If Marlene were to go by her experiences, travelling would be the only option for her but since she didn't think herself much of a writer, even in her poorly organized journal with ticket stubs and other silly things glued onto the pages. Still she picked up her quill and wrote on the parchment easily whilst eating lunch quietly because every week or so she and her friends decided that they would spend the day by themselves so they would not get sick of one another, a normal complaint amongst fellow travellers. The girl loved her friends, yes, but there were times when their habits or the fact that you could barely have a second alone most days was tiresome for not only her but for them and so recharging her batteries with a cup of iced tea and some sweet southern hospitality, she went to work scribbling about her feelings for the upcoming year at Hogwarts, about her trip, her friends and anything in between as her darkened skin gave a dewy look from the sweet sweat from the heat. It was lucky that her wavy hair had been so manageable, she was reminded of as she tucked a lock behind her ear and looked up at the surroundings. Georgia seemed to have so much to offer, although no one ever seemed to think about it much.

The Slytherin girl took a sip of her drink and basked in the buzz of the day as she looked at each and every patron of the cafe. She didn't take a long look, no, but they all seemed contented which was nice to see at least until she saw a face she only vaguely recognized. Marlene instantly retreated into herself because she didn't know any other way to react and so her brown eyes returned to her page as inconspicuously as she could manage because her life at Hogwarts was so very separate from her life here. Her Muggle friends had never even heard her schools name and so meeting a classmate this far away would be confusing to them, at least if they had been here it would be hard to explain.​

 

[Tybalt Archer]

It had been a long time since Tybalt had set foot on American ground. It seemed like just last week that he'd left, but it had been much, much longer. He had found it funny, when he'd arrived how strange it all was, how strange it all felt. All his memories of the place flooded back at once. But, while a lot of it hadn't changed, he had changed a lot. It was like seeing a past life, something so familiar but, so distant. It had taken a lot of persuasion, but, he had in the end convinced his parents to give him three weeks in his old country, give him time to go home. He'd spent a lot of his previous holidays with his family, with his cousin, all of which in New Zealand. He hadn't been home, and with his final year of school looming, he couldn't help but really want to visit some of the things from his past. It was why eventually his mother had agreed to it. She'd seen his side, seen what he was taking about. Understanding that he needed a little bit of time. The seventeen year old, was no longer a young boy. He was no longer the small little boy, that had been afraid of most things. He still had the accent for the most part, and he tanned easily in the sun, but he wasn't the same kid. For the most part, he was no longer a kid. Tybalt had almost finished his school education, and would be moving on with his life. On and up, and his parents realised, that part of this was visiting a place which was a distant memory. It was also the first time since leaving that he'd seen other parts of the Archer family. His cousins on that side. Muggle, but that didn't make them any less important to him. He was surprised by how big they'd both gotten. No longer the little girls he remembered. His uncle, was much older than he remembered too. But, him and his wife had welcome Tybalt home with open arms. They hadn't moved, no reason to. They didn't know about the magic, but he was almost glad of that. He hadn't flown to America, he'd apparated, but from the moment he'd arrived, he'd put away the wand, and had lived like the muggles. He might only be in the country a week, but his uncle had taken the time to teach him the basics of driving, moaning about how his parents were silly to not teach him. He did have some difficulty, Tybalt with his eyesight counted drive without his uncle's wife in the car. But, it had been good. The other side of his family, his mother's sisters were people that he also intended to go see, he had cousins there too, but, for now, Ty was just happy to among other Archers. Tell them the story of their move, of finding Stefan, and finding out what had happened to Stefan's father. Stefan had even asked him to go find his mother's family, and tell them. There were a lot of loose ends in America for the Archers.

It was on a particularly sunny morning that Tybalt had found himself wondering through the streets of the small town in Georgia. His uncle and aunt were entertaining his aunt's family, and Ty had no wish to be there. He loved his family, but it was at times difficult to explain about his schooling, and the move. Why he knew next to nothing about muggle music or was very out of touch with movies and really wasn't great at using most technology. So, it was just easier if he left for a couple of hours. Likely it would be more than that, but Ty wasn't bothered, he liked exploring. He'd yet to run into any of the old kids from his class, but then again, he knew he'd changed and grown a lot, so he assumed that they wouldn't recognise him, as he was unlikely to recognise any of them. When he'd left America, he'd been a small, scared kid. Tybalt definitely wasn't that any more. He'd assumed he'd stopped growing, but he stood at just over 6ft, the same height as most in his family, he was a little taller than his father. He was much more built than when he'd left, he'd been scrawny, but sports, and quidditch had helped a lot. His hair, sat shorter now than it had ever done when he'd been living in America. Everything about Tybalt was different. Though, those stark blue eyes were the same, the Archer eyes as his mother put it. When he had grown a little tired of aimlessly wondering, he noticed a small cafe, and decided now was as good a time as any to get something to eat and drink. He wondered inside, and spoke to the waitresses for a moment, before finding an empty table to sit at. Tybalt's accent which had faded slightly after being in New Zealand so long, had seemingly come back in full force. He fitted in perfectly with the others in this town. With ease he hadn't thought would be possible. He'd always stood out at Hogwarts because of his accent, but, he'd fear the loss of his accent slightly would make him stand out here, but it really didn't. His accent had come back, and he'd fitted in. Tybalt got his tea, and then looked around at the cafe, at the others sitting around enjoying the sun. It was then, he noticed a girl, someone who seemed incredibly familiar, but he couldn't really place where he knew this person from. He was pretty sure it had to be from Hogwarts, but he'd travelled so far, it would be hilarious to run into someone from school, so far from it. Tybalt made a snap decision, he took his tea, stood up and walked over. Ty smiled slightly as he approached, clearing his throat slightly. "Hello" he said, now wondering if this was the right thing to do, "I swear you look incredibly familiar, I swear I've seen you before" he said, the thick southern drawl feeling familiar on his tongue. "Mind if I join you?"
​

 

[Marlene Cox]

Last winter instead of spending it in anywhere as far as America the brunette went to Eastern Europe where the girl had learned some Hungarian from another traveller who was taking time between secondary and university to travel and had joined their trip but she knew that there would be nothing learned during this trip because they were only meeting locals as they were all camping out in either the car or in their, already smelly, tents. Marlene still wanted to expand herself in a different way so on top of the great American literature they were exploring she also attempted to learn a bit about the history of witches and wizards in the area, which had luckily been charmed as a boring maths text book so as to keep her friends out of it. The history was so different in her native country and was glad to learn about it and even the modern wizarding society here was indeed interesting and different just as the muggle life seemed to be. The quiet girl was happy with the time she got away from her friends to recharge her batteries and if she could perk up some more maybe to meet new people like she had in her last trip and make some like minded traveller friends if possible or at least people who might understand what drove them to... drive. Driving across the ridiculously large country was not easy but it sure was fun and Marlene had yet to meet a rude American on her trip and it had caused her to wonder why there was an idea that this nation was filled with ignorant, hate-filled people because so many were willing to offer travel directions, tips and hidden alcoves of cities to go. Even this cafe was a suggestion to the people who may have confused her for Australian a few times but all-in-all were lovely. It was for this reason that perhaps she should not have been surprised when someone approached her here. With her dark hair falling out of her face in a messy braid she looked a little different to her normal self. She was almost always polished and prim at Hogwarts out of fear the her Head of House would berate her for looking how a teenager ought to. There she even went through the trouble of putting make up on her face but there were far more important things for her to do than to focus on making winged eyeliner, especially in a crowded car that could go down the highway at the break neck speed of seventy-miles per hour in only the best of conditions. So the witch would not be able to believe that someone in Georgia could recognize her as she did not think that even someone from Hogwarts would be able to, although the boy did look familiar. Quickly she thought that it was so nerve-wracking how so many people would be so open and out going here where as she had barely made friends after six years at the same school because of her quiet, somewhat timid nature. "Err hi. I doubt you have - I'm from New Zealand but you're still welcome to join," she said and if it weren't for her words her accent would have made it very clear that she was a foreigner just as his showed that he was from Georgia, if not from this very town itself. She could hardly tell this person that, even if he had visited New Zealand, he would never have seen her as she was busy getting a degree at a school for magic. The last time anyone thought much about this the Salem Witch Trials happened and the girl was not keen on being burned to a crisp while having a road trip. She closed her journal and used her feathered quill as a book mark to pick up with her journal writing later while she raised her sloppily manicured hand up for a handshake. "I'm Marlene," she said, loosely shrugging her shoulders because she didn't know what else to say at this point.

Marlene Asphodel Cox was not a name on many people's tongues because she was in the background most of the time, fidgeting away her days or spending them locked away working on something or even dreaming of what she was doing at this moment. It was not spent meeting new people, even ones who were certain that they knew one another. All she could hope for was that it was not a terribly cheesy pick up line used to irritate. She straightened her loose tank top so that the hem neatly rested on her high waisted shorts as she suddenly felt somewhat self-conscious as she waited for a response from this person before her. Looking at him, she too was sure that there was someone at Hogwarts with his likeness and although the world was getting smaller it wasn't this small. Hogwarts was hardly even this small. Of course, she thought the person who he looked like had some Shakespearean or vaguely ridiculously poetic name, just as her middle name was far too plant like to be a muggle's choosing. It always seemed to be one of the big tell tale signs of a witch or wizard amongst muggles but of course there were silly muggle names like Princess just as there were witches named Mary. Her theory did have flaws as so many do.​

 

[Tybalt Archer]

In Tybalt's mind, if this girl actually turned out to be someone from school, he might start believing in fate or something. It was funny that here he was, so far from what had become his home, and well, he'd possibly run into someone from then. Of course there was still the possibility that she just looked like someone he had once known, but did not in fact actually know. Not really. Tybalt was sure that it couldn't be possible. He didn't think it would be possible that someone from his school would be in this exactly remote area at the same time he was. Despite the fact that he was spending three weeks in this place, he had never at all expected to run into any that he even might remotely know. Aside from his family, but really that was a given about this place. The Gryffindor knew that even if he didn't know this person like he thought he did, it didn't mean that he couldn't talk to her. One of the things which had definitely changed since he'd last been in this country was his confidence. Tybalt had never been particularly confident. Until about third year in Hogwarts he'd really not been confident, but he'd grown to be. More and more, as time had gone on. It had just become easier and easier, and well, eventually he'd just gotten super good at it. He didn't think about it as much, and well, his confidence came through in most things that he did now. it would be hard for him to do all that he did around the school and not be a little bit confident. He had to captain a quidditch team, he was a prefect, he had a club. All the things he did were incredibly useful in letting him grow in confidence. Which was why he now had no problem going up to some random person, in a country mostly unfamiliar to him and try talking to them. There were small points when Tybalt wondered if he was at all the same person that he had been when he'd left this country. He definitely upon leaving America, had never thought he would ever be confident. It had been something that seemed impossible. But, he shifted those thoughts from his mind and focused.

The girl seemed to be less certain about having seen him, but when she said she was from New Zealand, he had to admit that even though the country was fairly large and well populated, that that had to be where he knew her from. If she also went to Hogwarts then, that was where he'd seen her. But, he couldn't be sure, and he didn't particularly want to blurt out the name of the magical school. He didn't know who was listening, not that muggles would actually know it but he still didn't want to do that. However, she allowed him to sit so he did just that. As he sat, his eyes glanced out at the street, and the lovely sunshine that bore down on it. There was one thing that Tybalt could barely get over, and that was the sun, and the warmth that came with it. He liked New Zealand's weather, it was just fine. But there was something about this strong and good sun which just made him smile. He knew that when he'd first left America his skin had held a dark tan, which over the years had gradually faded, his skin had stayed slightly tanned, but really just not like it had once been. He smiled at the girl as she then introduced herself. As the school's yearbook photographer, he ran into a lot of people, but, still he couldn't really place her. "I live in New Zealand, have been living there for almost ten years. I go to a boarding school in New Zealand" he replied with a smile, and as she extended her hand to him, he took it land shook it lightly. "I'm Tybalt, it's nice to meet you Marlene" he said with a bright and friendly smile. He was sure that he knew her from somewhere, but the gryffindor was now hoping that she might remember, because he was not remembering at all. "What brings to you to the great state of Georgia?" He asked her, there was no point sitting around waiting for her to remember who he was, or for him to try to remember who she was.
​

 

[Marlene Cox]

A bead of sweat dribbled down the nape of Mars’ neck even in the cafe which had fans on full tilt she was not used to this heat. It was uncomfortably humid but she stayed put and not because her thighs were stuck against her seat but because walking around would have been that much worse and so she took another sip of her ice tea and whilst she glanced around the room until finding the familiar strangers’ once more. He lived in her tiny country as opposed to this one and so Marlene seemed to have doubted this boy entirely incorrectly. He may very well have met her before and with a personality like his, where he could go up to strangers and speak to them, well perhaps they had in a group setting where she had stayed to herself. Her mouth was agape in shock, for just a second, before she realized that it was hardly an attractive thing to see so looking slightly embarrassed and extremely flabbergasted she said, “I - that’s such a weird coincidence! I go to a boarding school as well.” She did not want to say the name of her school in case he was a muggle and since getting arrested for exposure was not high on her bucket list, the dark haired which said nothing more on the matter although she knew that she would be certain to look out for him upon returning to Hogwarts just in case fate happened to be in play here, not that she was a great believer in the mystical things. Divination seemed like lucky guesses to the normally pale girl and yet if this was the case, perhaps she would have to believe. Despite her own skepticism she did believe in a healthy dose of mysticism, perhaps because being devil’s advocate at times appealed to her as she had yet to feel loyal to an ideal in any situation. It was for this that most times she was silent because she in no way felt like she had worthy thoughts or points, especially in conversations and lectures in class.

The Slytherin flashed Tybalt a smile, the name was too familiar. His face even more by the second but still there was nothing there. So when she had taken her hand back from his she put it on the table. “My mates and I are celebrating winter break and my seventeenth birthday,” she answered, “with a road trip through America before I have to go back to school.” Only a witch or wizard would know the importance of a seventeenth birthday and although her friends were neither, they had heard many conversations about how seventeen was the year that Marlene should explore and have fun and it seemed to have resonated within them to make this year a big one which did help when she had so few wizarding friends. “I suppose you’re visiting family?” she asked in return. If he had been away for ten years, it was really shocking to think that he had chosen now to visit unless he was like her and could apparate in which case that would be a hilarious shock and completely understandable as to the distance he had travelled where as hers was insanity on top of the cost of flying just because her friends had to be muggles. While she adored them, it sure would have been easier otherwise, or at least she thought it would be. Who knew how hard it would be not to splinch with apparition or how difficult it would have been to set up a port key or find a good fireplace. There were too many variables. Marlene Cox was not keen on any of these but she was keen on getting to know a little more about Tybalt, who had peaked her curiousity in a few ways.​

 

[Tybalt Archer]

When it turned out that this girl, Marlene also went to a boarding school in New Zealand, he was sure that was where he knew her from. But, it didn't seem like a good way of pursuing it. It was pointless, that wasn't what this holiday was about. This was about spending time with his family and rediscovering those roots of his. He was much happier to forget about school, and the difficulties he'd be facing when he would have to do the NEWTs. So, he was more than happy to forget about it. "What a coincidence" he said with a smile. It didn't matter and he was happy to forget about it and not follow on that line of conversation. It didn't matter to him. He took a sip of his drink and smiled at her. It was always good fun to meet new people and a whole part of this trip was to meet people and be able to be by himself. It was a trip made for him and he wouldn't let anything change the mood of it. He was hundreds of miles away from Hogwarts it didn't need to be much of a thought in his head. Marlene seemed to be fairly quiet, so it was likely that if they ever had been in the same place that he might not have noticed her. Which he didn't think was that nice a thing for him to do, but it wasn't like he had much control over such a thing. He just let himself take another sip of his drink and then smiled happily at her. As she began to tell him why she was in America he continued to smile.

"Well, Happy birthday" he told her brightly, his own birthday came just after he was back at school, so he was older than most of the other people in his class. Since he hit the next age first. Just with the way the classes worked out. Which was slightly differently from other school systems. "Sounds like a lot of fun" he said, with a bright smile. He was wondering if because of the fact that she was on a road trip meant that she wasn't a witch and his knowledge of her was then perhaps false. But, he couldn't be certain of that really, maybe she just had muggle friends. As she said that he was visiting family, he nodded happily. "Well, the parts still left here" He laughed slightly. "It's strange being back. There are so many memories here, you know, things that happen that you then forget." he said, with a small sigh. The smile still lingered on his face, but as much as things had stayed the same, so many other things had changed. So much was different. So many memories lingered in this place. So many of which he hadn't really realised. "New Zealand is my home, I could never live here again, but I really wouldn't mind this sunshine" he said with a bright smile. Despite the fact that sunshine played havoc with his eyesight, he really would take it over anything else. He liked the fact that the sun was so warm, and despite the fact that he didn't really see the tan, he knew it existed. He wanted more of it. Happily he smiled at her. "How are you enjoying it then? Pretty different from New Zealand right?" he said brightly, wondering how she was finding this strange land that was so very different from the US. Or that he at the very least found very different from the US.
​

Sorry, this is like awful