The warmth inside the castle was something that Alliyah needed for today, since yesterday was all outdoors and photography. The day prior to this one proved to be a success thus giving more additions to Alliyah's long list of friends. Initially she thought that it would not work because their differences were too obvious and it was a wonder why Alliyah made it through her meeting with Ai Edogawa. The younger girl was actually fierce and Alliyah wasn't at all fierce. That difference just somehow connected the both of them and it pleased Alliyah utterly. The frequent meetings she had with her sister made her more happy with herself for the whole of year sixteen. Alliyah took a piece of toast from the various breakfast meals that were served before the whole Gryffindor house and chewed on it slowly whilst thinking of the possible things that could happen whilst back in England. She would certainly stop wearing the winter fabrics that her mother had sent her - together with Artemis' as well - and Alliyah was quite excited to experience the warmth of the sun again. She wanted to wear flip flops and not boots whilst going out to take a walk. Her choice of comfortable footwear was always something that would take in air for her feet and boots weren't something she fancied.
Her meal was not plentiful nor did lack too much nutrients since Alliyah was not a big eater during the morning. She played with the remaining parts of the fruit she dared not to eat and looked up at several Gryffindors her year. They were talking excitedly, most possibly about their holidays, and they glanced at Alliyah. She smiled at them knowingly, not exactly ready to wield her high-spirited attitude unto them. Some people just thought that it was a ton to take in whenever someone was so happy. "Later everyone," announced Alliyah as she stood up and nodded towards the remaining Gryffindors that decided to stay a tad bit longer for the hols. Before leaving fully, the goblet that contained the cool water was taken by Alliyah and she drank it and released a satisfied sigh. The young lady finally walked away from the Gryffindor table, in search for Artemis who was there as well and her sister seemed to be in grumpy spirits. Alliyah did not dare seek eye contact with her, knowing better anyways. Her attempts will just go to waste and would even receive a tired stare. Alliyah continued her way to exit the Great Hall, to leave the stirring roar that will soon erupt as giggles, whispers and groans.
The four hourglasses were isolated this morning and no one had reset it yet. The topazes, sapphires, rubies and emeralds were still in the former position, unmoved and standing with pride just located in the Entrance Hall. Alliyah glued her eyes on the four long glasses, as they presented the pride that each house had. She stepped forward to stay nearer and gently touched the glass that held the shining rubies. The Gryffindor house always had something to prove to Alliyah. Her years in Hogwarts made her learn different things (mostly values and traits) that Gryffindor could offer. She stepped back, marveling the rest of the hourglasses, contented with the deduction of noise pollution in the air.
WC: 558 words
NOTES: ick i'll do better in my next post!
Jai glanced askew at the sudden female presence next to him and asked lightly "So what did you do? Hex a first year?". Considering that they were both standing in front of the hourglasses containing the jewels representing house points, he'd simply assumed that she was standing there for the same reason he was: lamenting over lost points from the day before. He vaguely recognised her as a Gryffindor, but from what year he couldn't decipher. They'd never had a class together, as far as he could tell. It was usually the Slytherins or Gryffindors losing the most points, either way. The Snakes liked their sneaky pranks and the Lion's loud and proud, but one way or another the professors usually caught on and docked them hard for it.
Jai had been caught sneaking out after hours. Not his proudest moment as a Slytherin (being caught, that is). He usually headed off towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest to pick up better quality wood for whittling. He wasn't stupid enough to actually go in: adventures aside, there was nothing fun or safe about the misty foothills and broken-down trees. Jai knew well enough the story of the goblin child being murdered by a centaur, werewolves and pictsies aside. The rumours about ghosts were easily dismissed, but Jai had been present on the day the news came to the school that a student had been killed. That was reason enough not to go. He touched the Slytherin hourglass lightly and watched the ebb and flow of the jewels as points were gained and lost. "I could be wrong," said Jai suddenly, grinning sideways at the girl. "You could just be gloating over an excellent essay and its 10 point reward." He looked at her properly now, and swallowed to himself as he took in the sight of her face. She was beautiful. Jai sobered quickly. "But correct me if I am."
Out of Character:
Don't sweat it mate, it's not a novel writing contest! Just have fun Also, sorry about the late reply! I've only just started catching up after Christmas @_@
Ten seconds. That was how long Alliyah stared at the sudden increase and decrease of the bright rubies in the hourglasses. They were truthfully entertaining to gaze at and it made her wonder who were the ones gaining disapproving and approving signs from the prefects, Head people and the professors. From time to time it's speed was rapid but it slowed down after a whilst. To Alliyah it was those moments when the castle was at its quietest state ever when the gems began to move slowly. That happened however rarely. Hogwarts was in its first semester with new first years running around and trying to discover any secret passages - or so that was how Alliyah perceived their excited movements and pointed fingers at some walls. At some points she thought of them as irking individuals. She knew some new faces well enough because of memories of them going from this point to another; not tired at all to find a way through barricades that they hoped guarded something worth their time. They were still kids, after all. Alliyah thought about those things as she ignored the male presence just a couple of feet away from her.
Startled at the sudden interruption of the buzz of serenity, there was nothing that could prevent her from minor embarrassment. She flinched as the sound waves came to reach her ear and let a small intake a breath arrive. Alliyah did not expect him to make a conversation with her, seeing that his year was a lot higher compared to hers. She exhaled slowly, careful so that he may not hear it. It hushed suddenly, which led Alliyah to think that he was waiting for her response. Before she could even formulate one, he let out another sentence that made her lips turn upwards. Alliyah was smiling amusingly now and she looked at him properly the same way he did to her. "Let's just say I'm on the good side." This guy looked to be suddenly solemn. Alliyah got the first impression that he was moody and thought of how her morning would go with this student. She cocked her head to the side as her brain did a quick analyses of some facts about him. She had seen him in the Slytherin table for a couple of times. Alliyah rarely payed any attention to him in the hallways (she thought that she saw him too rarely as well). Ally quickly knew that he belonged in Slytherin and thought that there was a fat chance her sister knew about this guy.
Realizing that if she stared at him much longer, Alliyah took her eyes off him as she ended it with a chuckle of sorts. Quite awkward she might say about it, yet she hoped it did not sound too clumsy for the tall Slytherin. Her eyes swept over the sight of the hourglasses for the second time and she replicated its sight into her mind. Alliyah crossed her arms protectively around her chest - mainly because she wanted to keep herself warmer from the cold - and thought about something to block away the silence. "And what's your story," her lips managed to query lightly despite the thought of going back to her dorm to socialize with people around her age. Alliyah shifted, positioning her weight on her left foot instead. Images of the older male teen flashed in her mind yet they were very limited. She felt small compared to him which did not help her bubbly mood increase at all. "Good or... unpleasant?" A small additional sentence did not hurt right? Silence followed again accompanied with a stir of silence that made Alliyah squirm internally.
The Gryffindor girl stared too long at him and his cheeks felt uncomfortably hot. "There aren't any sides here," replied Jai, looking back up at the beautifully-cut emeralds trickling into the bottom like sand. "But if there were, I guess you could say that my side is unpleasant." Suddenly, Jai turned and pressed his back against the ornate hourglass to face her. "So are you a Gryffindor, are you? I'm just assuming, since you were looking at the Lion's points." He wasn't sure if he liked the idea of himself hanging around a Gryffindor for more time than was necessary, but he tried not to keep any house prejudices. That was very 2010. Students just stereotyped themselves now, and if Gryffindors weren't generally brash and arrogant, he wouldn't bother with the cliche. Jai gave Alliyah a look up and down before adding "Fourth, or fifth year." He was usually right about those sort of things. "But hey, if you're a Gryffindor, you might appreciate this," said Jai suddenly. He didn't know why he was showing her. The Slytherin wasn't exactly forthright when it came to displaying his creations. Only his parents and one or two other students knew he did woodwork, but in the end there wasn't any harm in showing a stranger.
Jai shucked a hand inside his robe's pocket to remove a blunt whittling knife and a thumb-sized wooden figure of a hippogryph. For a small model, it was expertly carved out of soft aspen and very neatly polished. He turned it around a few times in his hands, then chucked it to Alliyah. "Did this after reading one of those old stories with Harry Potter and Sirius Black in it." Jai explained. "I kind of don't believe the time-turner bits: why would they let a third year use a dangerous magical artifact to attend classes? But the bits with the hippogryph in it were kind of cool." He gave the figurine a soft smile of the kind that graced his features very little. He rarely smiled at all, in fact, except when smirking at someone or reading by himself. "Keep it," said Jai, going back to staring at the house points. He wasn't going to tell her what he'd done unless she asked.
Why weren't there any sides? Why weren't there any stories that she can classify as either a delightful one or a cringing one? What the Slytherin just mentioned for her ears to hear was a confusing statement and Alliyah was not so sure to believe in it right away. Perhaps her mind was still not old enough to comprehend his deep words that may have a possible meaning behind it. "Oh," she breathed, her eyes sweeping upwards to face the tall boy whose back was already in contact with the strong but fragile looking hourglass. Alliyah shuffled a little bit to come closer to the hourglasses and at the same time, to close the distance between them. She loved speaking softly during mornings and assumed that today was nothing special. The intricately attractive gems that ran smoothly inside were continuously flowing, showing off its shining beauty even in the cold atmosphere of the day. "At least you got it over with." A small murmur it was from Alliyah's side which was unusual for such a bubbly person. Maybe it was the fact that this guy was a lot older than her, making her feel awkward and uncertain of what to do.
Everybody knew her as the sister of Slytherin's team keeper. Or the Gryffindor photographer. Or the bubbly Gryffindor who always loved making acquaintances with precisely anybody she crossed. They never knew her as 'Alliyah Jackson,' the girl who liked being herself and unafraid to be different. This little attempt to get to know her was truly appreciated and she briskly nodded, a sign of affirmation and enthusiasm to return the favor soon. "I'm a fourth year. Not really interesting but still, it's a start before entering the fifth year. Before she could even approve of her house, another voice clouded the air with its deepness. Alliyah uncrossed her arms and hung them limply by her sides to relax the blood flow. She cocked her head in question again as he was getting something inside that pocket of his. Ally somewhat hoped it was some muggle device but she knew her hopes would be dashed. Slytherins were not exactly muggle lovers, were they not? Her sister showed that in her own ways and Alliyah thought that her sister's actions sufficed. The young lioness eyed what he finally retrieved from that pit of a pocket which was a small figurine of some creature. What he did next though caught her totally off guard.
Catch it.
The hands she had caught it had clumsy appearance but luckily, it was tossed just near the chest level. The left hand transferred it to the right and her bright blue eyes that made her pale complexion noticeable examined the woody figurine. As she surveyed it, she listened to the story behind the carved hippogriff. It was a complex task to do and with earnest, her eyes tried to scan every curve and texture that it had. All was about Harry Potter and some person she did not catch. Her lips were slightly apart as she let her orbs roam over it freely. Alliyah looked at him and tightened her grip on the wooden thing. "I am a Gryffindor," revealed the blonde finally after the talk he just gave her. He was an interesting guy with feelings and moods that she could just not perceive so easily. His outer shell was difficult to read unlike other people who decided to show a free spirited character. Alliyah liked what he just showed her since it was something she did not ordinarily see every single day. His next words made her say persistently, "What!? No no, it's yours. You deserve to keep it." Alliyah stepped forward and attempted to give it to him and wondered why the hell he was giving it to her. Merlin's pants, she did not even know his name yet!
Jai shook his head. "I knew it. Gryffindor." Why were the pretty ones always from Gryffindor? Silly, bullheaded, 'noble' things. He'd had enough of girls in his own year, too, who couldn't speak without spouting their own praises. The Hufflepuffs were all simpering fools, and the Ravenclaw's heads were up their arses so far that they could look at their brains, which was all they wanted to do, anyway. He didn't consider these opinions house prejudices as such, more female prejudices that justified themselves. He'd said it to himself once before: they made their own stereotypes. It was no good thinking about girls at Hogwarts, anyway. School was an artificial environment that didn't match the real world at all. Sure, there was diversity enough, but no true wizardry, and certainly no experience. Most of the teachers were as green as new leaves. Not counting Professor Styx, of course, thought Jai, grinning. Still, the Jackson girl (whom he'd slowly come to recognise after looking at her face more closely) wasn't much of a braggart. She'd been quiet, so far. Alliyah had caught his figure quite deftly, too, although she was trying to give it back.
Jai simply snorted at her and shook his head. "I just make them. I don't deserve them." He paused and glanced askew at her with a more genuine grin. "My hands just do as they please, and the figures they sit when they're done. I've never given them to anyone, so they're starting to pile up." Jai turned his eyes back to the hourglass and sighed, accepting his defeat from the emeralds. "Just keep it. Or toss it. Burn it, even. Aspen's good kindling." He returned his back to the hourglass and looked at Alliyah properly. An uncomfortable feeling was rising in his chest, and it was at that moment that he knew he was about to do or say something very stupid. "Do you want to take a walk with me before class starts?"
Oh, Merlin.
Out of Character:
Omg, forgive me the lateness! No, forget it. Don't even berate me, I'm doing it to myself right now.
A hesitant frown toyed with the flesh of her lips as she contemplated what to say to the Slytherin. It sort of crossed her mind to be cautious since it was not everyday when a guy gave her a figurine of a magical creature. He was a Slytherin, not to mention! The stubborn part of Ally's mind quipped up and told her that the stereotypical lot of the Slytherins still lurked around. Perhaps he was one of them, or he was just one of those who kept a low profile and occupied their time with some activities. Everyone needed a hobby anyway. This Slytherin's hobby had something to do with carving though which was an unusual thing for the Gryffindor. Alliyah once again considered giving it back to him forcefully but she thought that it would be a wee bit embarrassing for her part. Instead she stroked the nicely carved hippogriff and smiled at him. If he wanted her to have it, then she had to accept. She thought it would be lovely on her dresser, making the shy smile widen ever so slightly. "Thank you."
A hue of pale pink tinted her cheeks as she caught his swift turn at her. In two seconds, she let her eyes trail over his jaw. He was indeed, attractive! Although, she had [secretly and] reluctantly matched his gaze and thought that she needed to break the brief, awkward silence. Alliyah thought of what to say and there were many things that popped in her mind. She could ask him when he made the little figurine. Heck, she even thought of introducing herself. Ally merely parted her lips when she heard his offer to having a walk. Bloody hell, she never expected that one! She thought about going back to her dormitory and have a little chat with her roommates. But in the end she decided to have this little chat with him instead. "That sounds... nice," murmured Alliyah, who more of said it to herself. It would not be bad spending her morning with a good looking Slytherin anyway. The younger student took a step backward then nodded her head, beckoning him to come with her. She turned her back from him and walked slowly yet casually, hoping that his strides would easily put him beside her. She looked sideways at him and inhaled. "I-I'm Alliyah or just, Ally by the way." she introduced, showing off a soft, pleasant curve on her lips.
Oh, this was certainly going to be nice.
Out of Character:
oh but i loved that reply! ♥ say that this is done and they have their little friendship going on!
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Out of Character: 
Also, sorry about the late reply! I've only just started catching up after Christmas @_@