The Only Place

[Noah Lewis]

Noah had not been in the forbidden forest since Sakura had gone. Now he found himself making his way through the snow leaving brief footprints that were soon covered once more by the falling snow slowly blending them in. Noah wished he knew what was going on. He hadn't seen Asher since they had returned from break. Now they were going on the third weeks of lessons and he was more than just confused.

Noah had gone through all the possibilities that he thought all and none of them helped at all. He couldn't figure it out. It was like a maze that he was lost in forever. A puzzle that he would never put together, a riddle that he could never solve. All this over one girl. That one girl that had told him that she loved him. They were only 15 years old. Many people doubted that love could be found this early. Noah had as well, well until he had met Asher.

Now he was without her as she suddenly disappeared and he wondered where on earth was she. If she was avoiding him why? What had Noah done? Noah hated all these thoughts that filled his mind. He moved further into the forest and found a fallen tree. It was there that he wiped off the snow and took a seat wondering, thinking, and just wasting the passing moments.

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri walked out into the grounds. The snow was falling thick and fast and her converses left deep prints in the snow. As she walked her mind trailed off to thoughts of Kevin. She had thought that they were rock solid. Perfect for each other. Afterall they had known each other for so long and they got on so well. But then he hadn't come at christmas. He hadn't written to her. She hadn't seen him in months. She felt her eyes welling up though she hastily wiped them away. If he wasn't going to bother with her then she didn't see why she should do all the work. She wasn't even sure how she felt about him anymore. They were both so young and so far away. She yelled in fustration, hearing it echo around her and she found herself at the edge of the forest. She began walking around thinking of the last time she was here, she had had an argument with one of her best friends over a boy who obviously no longer cared about her. She wondered if she ever crossed his mind. He was always on hers. she shook her head trying to rid the thought from her head. Spotting someone sitting on a log a little way away she walked over. "Hey," she said nodding a hello. Then she realised she had actually met him briefly before, "It's Noah isn't it?" she asked, "Mind if I sit here?"

 

[Noah Lewis]

What did I do? Noah thought. Every thought he had involved something not so good. Either he messed up or something awful at occured. It was never Asher's fault to him. That was something that everyone said they loved about him, how he was never on to blame others. Though then why was it on the verge of breaking up Sakura had told him to grow a backbone and blame someone else. Noah had thought of that moment constently recently dreading it's occurance again. Noah may look strong but after all this he didn't know if he was.

Then he heard a scream not of fear or hurt but of frustration. Noah looked up to see a younger girl. "Hey" He said a bit uncertain though she had known his name. "Yeah it's Noah" Noah said smiling slightly. Lately it had seemed like his smile had almost been broken. He looked down at the snow covered fallen tree. He brushed off a spot for the girl. "Yeah go ahead" He said

"So what brings you to the forest on such a cold day" Noah asked as he pulled his jacket a bit closer to him making sure that he was warm enough. Hoping that he wasn't getting into the girl's business. He just needed to get his mind off Asher, anything to do that.

 

[Harriet Turner]

"Oh, I'm Harri by the way," Harri said, a feeble atempt at a smile passing her lips. Usually she was terrible with names but his had stuck in her head, maybe because the notebook was one of her favorite films and his name was that of the main characters. "Cheers," she said as he brushed the snow away from the log. She sat down pulling her hands inside the cuff of her jumper, she twidled with the ends of her hair as he asked her what bought her to the forest, should she share this with someone who was practically a stranger to her?

"Well just thinking really." she began, "I mean why do boys have to be so complicated?" she said sighing, "One minute there acting like they really like you, next thing you don't here a peep out of them for months. Absoloute months. Not one single letter, no explanation as to why they don't turn up, not a message passed through their cousin, who happens to be one of my best friends." she said, and at once wondered why she had spilled all her troubles, "God sorry, you can't want to hear about all my stupid problems." she said looking down at her shuffling feet. "How about you? Got a happier tale?" she asked, laughing mechanically.

 

[Noah Lewis]

Harri Noah thought the name coming back to him. Though he really couldn't remember anyone's name at the moment even if it had been the most famous quidditch player in the world Noah probably wouldn't have realized a thing and had forgotten the name. His thoughts were just so messed up so focused on one person. How could this be possible? He really had to get his mind straight before owls or he would mess up his entire schooling all for the sake of a girl who he loved. Yet in his head he wondered if she loved him back. She after all had said that she loved him first. Why was it that now after three weeks, they went to the same school, were right next to each other in the Hogwarts Scotland tents, and he hadn't heard a peep from her or even seen her. How could she be this good at avoiding him?

Noah put his hands in his pockets as Harri spoke. It then occured to Noah that he wasn't the only one with relationship issues and that maybe girls felt the same way. Then why is Asher acting like this? Noah thought What could I have done Another thought rushed through his head.

Noah gave a weak smile "Sorry to say but my tale is not much happier at all" He said wishing he had something to say to make this girl feel better but at the moment he was out of advice and if he did have a spot he would have handed it over hoping to get some in return. Though his attempts were hopeless.

"My tale" Noah began "Well I don't know if you know Asher. She is a third year came from Hogwarts New Zealand as well" Noah said doubting that the name would stick but it may. "Well we were ....are going out" Noah said correcting himself. "We had a wonderful christmas. We exchanged presents, ate a big christmas meal, and even had a wonderful new years up watching the stars" Noah said thinking back to the memories. "Yet since we arrived back I haven't even seen her nonetheless spoken to her." Noah said looking down at the snow on the ground "I feel like she is just plain old avoiding me for some reason. Though I have no clue what I could have done" Noah finished off with a short silence.

"And I guess this is how we both ended up in the forest" He said giving Harri a small smile thinking that out of the two people that could have wondered into the forest this snowy day it had to be two people with relationship problems

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri's thoughts turned to Kevin. Despite the fact she said she wasn't going to think about him, she just couldn't stop. Her body hurt with want, the want to see him. His face was so sharp in her mind, every detail was pristine, like she had seen him yesterday. But she hadn't, she hadn't seen him for months. And why? Thats all she wanted to know, had he met someone else? She's probably prettier then me. she thought sadly, she looked down at her converses. Maybe it was her too scruffier a style, the way she just threw on clothes and didn't always think about it. But that was her style and she wasn't about to change that. But maybe she would, if he was special enough. If he thought she was special enough.

"Oh I've met Asher," she said, snapping out of her daydream. "Oh jeez, what a pair ehh?" she said, smiling a real smile at him. "I'm sure she'll come around. Afterall your both here at the same school. It shouldn't be too hard to track her down should it?" she said feebily, "And it sounds like you had an amazing time, She'd be crazy to let that go!" she said, thinking that was exactly what had happened with herself. Her and Kevin had had a great summer, spending practically all day with each other. Then he let it go. Why should she have to do all the work all of the time?
"Typical, so we're both sat here, worrying about someone who we can't stop thinking about," she said sighing and resting her head on her hands. "But atleast its snowing," she said trying to cheer herself up.

 

[Noah Lewis]

Asher filled his mind. It was so sad how he could not find her. They were at the same school afterall. Maybe he wasn't trying hard enough. After all he was being pretty useless sitting in the forest thinking when he could be looking around for Asher. Though right now Noah didn't want to get up. He just wanted to let himself think. He could only think about Asher and classes as it had been forever. Now maybe he could sort it out if he didn't freeze to death out here.

Noah smiled up at Harri when she said that she had met Asher. "Yeah we were quite the couple" Noah said grinning. They were the couple after all. He was the oldest Slytherin, the captain of the team, and prefect. He was going out with Sakura at the time they met and finally after they were through with a lot of problems Noah and Asher ended up with each other.

"I'll just have to try harder to track her down" Noah said "But yeah it was all good I hope I didn't screw it up though" He added looking down though minutes later he raised his head. "So where is your boy I take it he doesn't go here." Noah asked.

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri tried to think of something else. Afterall it couldn't be good to keep dwelling on things. He clearly didn't want her anymore and she was going to have deal with it. She sighed under her breath, wondering how she really felt about it. At the moment she felt slightly numb, but was that from the realisation that the first boy she really liked, maybe even loved didn't want her? Or from the bitter cold?
Harri smiled, glad to see a grin. She loved to grin, grins expressed true happiness. "Did you go to the Yule ball together?" she asked, thinking back to it. It seemed an age ago that she was there dancing with her friends.
"Yeah, if you track her down she'll love you forever!" she said laughing.
Harri shook her head, Is he still my boy? her thoughts trailed off in this direction.
"No he doesn't go here, hes up at HS." she said rather absentmindedly, "So we only get to see each other in the holidays. And so when one of us doesn't make the effort. It's months and months untill we see each other again," she said, she was so frustrated with him at the moment, that the more she thought about him the more the feeling of anger overcame that of longing.

 

[Noah Lewis]

Noah wondered if he had asked he wrong question to Harri, though asking the wrong question was better to focus on than his constant thought of Asher. She'll love me forever Noah thought She said she already does Noah thought as the doubts of all the older adults filled Noah's minds about how love at 15 years old is nothing. Yet Noah seemed to know better somehow. Well at least he thought he knew, now he wasn't sure.

"Yeah we went to the Yule ball." Noah said thinking back to it. That day.... "I wore a tux and looked like every other guy" Noah said "But Asher..." His voice drifted off. Did he seem like an idiot? Did he sound like an idiot? Probably Noah said trying to not think about it or at least not try to say anything about it.

"At Hogwarts Scotland" Noah said thinking of home for a moment. He missed it though not as much as Asher of coarse. ""I imagine it's hard. Maybe you should write to him" Noah said trying to help. He knew how it felt to be away from someone not knowing what was happening. Though it was different with Harri. She had been away from her boy for months Noah had only been away from Asher for three weeks. maybe he was pathetic.

"Who is he?" Noah wondered. He didn't want to continue to dwell on her problems but it made him feel better than to dwell on his. "Maybe I know him" Noah said wondering if he was at Hogwart Scotland Noah should know him.

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri sat watching the snow fall, each flake unique. It was beginning to settle on her, afterall she was barely moving, she brushed the top of the head, scattering some snow. She continued to watch it fall thinking about everything that happened. Could they last? Would a long distance relationship ever work? Was she just giving up too quickly? Was she the one making a problem?

Harri thought about now sweet Noah sounded "I'm sure you looked just as great to her," she said nodding and knowing that this probably was the truth. "It is hard. I mean when to long distance relationships ever work?" she asked, she needed someone to tell her what to do. She needed to know whether this relationship would ever work. People said they were too young, too young to know what they felt. But at this precise moment she knew what she felt. "I probably should write. Though I doubt he'd replie." she said "He never does," she muttered under her breath sadely. "Kevin Finnigan." Saying his name with pure love. And at that precise moment she missed him so much. There were so many emotions swirling around in her body, anger,longing, love, want. But saying his name. Saying his name was almost hard. It made everything real. It made everything come crashing back to reality, she knew she had to solve this problem. And the sooner the better.

 

[Noah Lewis]

Noah watched the snow falling. It was nice and peaceful and in a moment he was glad that he was out enjoying it. He knew deep down that he really wanted to enjoy it with Asher, where ever she is. Maybe she is watcing it where she is too Noah thought smiling at that. That was sort of what his mother used to say everytime she went away without Noah. She would say how if he watched the sun rise she would be watching it as well and at that moment they would be so connected. This was one reason why everytime someone went away he watched the sunrise and sunset hoping that that certain person was watching it as well. In a brief moment he felt connected to Asher even though Noah was sure the connection never broke.

Then Noah let out a laugh when Harri said that he probably looked as good as Asher at the ball. "You have never seen me in a tux" Noah said remembering how he reacted when he saw himself in the mirror with his tux and messy hair that never was neat. "But what can you do. Dances and balls are about the girls anyway" Noah said smiling.

"Long distant relationships usually do not work" Noah said truthfully. He wasn't one to say something just to make someone feel better when the truth was really needed. "But they can work" He added. "You both just have to put an effort in." He said running his hand through his hair to wipe all the snow flakes out of it. "But if you are putting the effort in and he isn't I have to say that you need someone better" Noah said truthfully.

"You could probably get anyone in this school if you wanted" He said smiling at her. Noah had early on that effort was a major part of a relationship and if both sides weren't going to try than it wouldn't work out long distance or notl

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri continued to watch the snow fall, following individual snowflakes as they fell, then settleled on the ground. The holes were her footprints had been earlier were now completely sealed again and the whole place looked completely undisturbed. The sun shone ,though it was still bitter cold, reflecting off of the snow and making everything seem brighter then it was. She wondered what it was like in Scotland, probably snowing also as it always did this time of year! She wondered what Kevin was doing at this precise moment, maybe messing around with friends? In a lesson? Or was it possible, that as she sat here thinking of him and him alone, that he was thinking of her? Most probably not, but she could hope.
Harri laughed "Ahh come off it! I'm sure you looked great!" she said grinning at Noah. "Too you its about girls! But to us, well its about trying to look as good as you can for your boy. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If he thinks you look great! Its.... well its the best feeling in the world!" she said, with a slightly sad smile.
She sighed, but knew he spoke the truth. "Sometimes, when we're together it all seems worth it! Every once of hard work. But then other times," she shrugged, "It seems like we're going backwards."
Harri's laugh echoed around the forest at his next comment "I highly doubt that. No-one in their right minds would ever want me." she said sadly, running her hands through her hair and thinking how true that was to her. She couldn't even imagine why Kevin ever had liked her. He was blatantly too good for her, maybe that was why? She was aiming to high. She was trying to get someone better then she deserved. She sighed inwardly as her thoughts trailed off in this depressing direction.

 

[Noah Lewis]

The footprints that were made as they both made their way through the forest were now completely covered. As if every trance of them was gone. Some how for some reason Noah wished that it wasn't true. He really just wanted something about him to be left but somehow it always seemed to be left for gone or just suddenly disappear. Was that why he was worried so much about Asher. He had her. He had let her get to know him better than anyone else had. Last time he tried that everything got messed up. Is that why he was so scared? Noah wasn't sure.

Noah smiled "Whatever you say" Noah said rolling his eyes almost playfully. Still Noah doubted that he looked good. Noah had always thought that he wasn't the best looking guy even though many of his friends told him otherwise Love is blind and friendship just closes its eyes Noah thought with a smile. How true was that.

"Well girls do a good job getting all ready then" Noah said remembering how much work Asher had put in to get ready and realizing that almost every other girl must have done the same. "I bet you spent hours getting ready for the ball as well didn't you?" Noah aked. He couldn't understand how a girl could do that. Just try to look perfect for a guy that probably already thought she was perfect.

Noah listened to Harri as she spoke about Kevin who Noah actually didn't know too much. "If you think it is worth it you should fight for it" Noah said as he kicked a bit of snow on the ground that seemed to be piling up a bit more than when he first ventured out into the forest.

When Harri laughed Noah couldn't help but smile. "You don't think highly of yourself" Noah said "Don't think that way at all" Noah added knowing that he thought that exact way but this wasn't exactly about him. It was more about her. He was not going to change for he really shouldn't think highly of himself but Harri was different. Noah could tell she had a good personality.

 

[Harriet Turner]

Looking around at the scenery seemed to be making Harri feel a little more relaxed. It was almost silent except for the sounds of their voices. She guessed everyone else was tucked away indoors, nice and warm in their common rooms. Or tents as it were for HS. But she would much rather be out here, she never liked being indoors much. When you were inside you were trapped, contained. But outside the sky was the limit! Everything was open and free. She inhaled deeply, the icy air almost constricting her breath.

"Come off it! I bet you know you looked great!" Harri joked, rolling her eyes back at him and shaking her head.
"Yeah, Nina made Ashers dress didn't she? Nina's really great at making them! I reckon she designed it as well!" she said, she admired Nina alot, she was the HS champion but she never seemed big headed or showy offy. In fact they had become good friends and Nina had helped her out alot through the last year, and that wasn't something Harri was ever going to forget.
"No I didn't actually! I only went with some friends I just practically threw any old dress on!" she said laughing, "I mean I wore a cardigan for godness sake! Who wears a cardigan to the yule ball?" she said laughing.
"I just don't know anymore!" she said, all her previous humour gone. "I just don't know," she whispered again. Was it worth fighting for? Was it worth her putting all the effort she could in?
"Course I don't! And I don't think anyone else does either," she laughed a humourless laugh, she was just there if you ever wanted a bit of a mess around. Some to give you a quick laugh, or too talk to if you were done. She highly doubted that many would think of her if they ever needed anything important doing. She tried to stop thinking this way but she couldn't help it. I mean why on earth would she think highly of herself. "But I'm guessing people think highly of you. Your the kinder guy everyone does," she said warmly, though she had only just met him she could tell he was a good guy, afterall how many other boys would sit here and listen to her ranting on? Come to think of it how many others would sit here and talk to her about problems they had with her?

 

[Noah Lewis]

The snow seemed to keep falling. Noah thought how wonderful it would be to go snowboarding. If only there were any decent places up here. He was yet to find any. It was basically torture as well because he had gotten all these new snowboarding items for Christmas. Some from Nina and some from Abbey. Snowboarding would also take his mind off of this but it was impossible to do that now. Maybe some other time when he was back in Hogwarts Scotland.

Noah looked over at Harri as she spoke. He smiled slighly at her. "Oh yes Nina did make the dress" Noah said the dress picturing in his mind. It looked absolutely wonderful on Asher. "Nina is very skilled with all those things" Noah said thinking how Nina had put so much effort into the dresses and Noah just brought his from a store a second hand store nonetheless but that was a secret that would go down with Noah to the grave.

"I bet you looked great though" Noah said smiling "And I have the right to say that for you said that you thought I looked good in the tux" Noah teased as he once again ran his fingers through his hair which did get the snowflakes out but didn't help with the fact it was completely out of place and messy. As Noah's hair grew longer he just said he was trying for the messy look. Really his hair was just hard to make neat.

Then Noah threw another playful eye roll Harri's way. "I bet plenty of people think highly of you" Noah said not really knowing too much about the girl but still he couldn't see why people wouldn't. She did seem nice enough. She was sitting here listening to his bad advice, he was trying though. As well as she was dealing with his useless problems that were probably nothing to worry about. She had to be good to deal with him even for a short period of time.

"Oh yes everything thinks so highly of me" Noah said a bit of bitterness to his voice. "The Slytherin Prefect, Quidditch Captain and Keeper" He said his voice almost sarcastic. "After everything that has happened this year only a few of my friends speak to me" Noah said "And now I haven't spoken to any of them since break ended. It's like Asher stops talking to me they all do" Noah admitted. This thought was buzzing through his head hoping that Nina and Alex weren't his friends just because of Asher but Noah could never tell anymore.

 

[Nina Patrokov]

Nina walked out of the tents looking for someone she recognized from Scotland, she hadn;t spoken to Asher in a bit and couldn't find Alex so she kept walking. Nina soon ended up in the forest and smiled lighlty as the cold snow melted as it touched her skin.

Nina heard some muffled voices and she shrugged to herself and followed the footprints she saw in the snow. As Nina got closer the voices got louder and she could tell that it was Noah and Harri. Nina smiled brightly and looked up to see them just a bit ahead of her. Nina rushed over to them and gave Harri a hug then gave Noah one aswell. Nina smiled brightly at them and said, "I haven't seen you both in ages!" Nina looked over the situation and saw that something was off, she wasn't sure what though. Nina dismissed it and gave them both another smile.

[hope you don't mind that i joined]

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri looked around, the sun was still shining down, though if she had not seen it she wouldn't have believed it was there. It was freezing and right now, as she looked down at her hands which were nearly blue, she couldn't think of anywhere she would rather be. She imagined the buzzing common room, filled with laughter and smiles but right now that would have been harder to face then ever before. Sometimes she couldn't keep pretending to be constantly happy, it wasn't natural. Everyone had a down day now and again. If you didn't you weren't human!
"Yeah! I would be compeletely useless at anything like that!" she said, laughing queitly to herself, "I'd probably end up in the hospital wing after sewing a few fingers together!" she added laughter still echoed in her voice.
She was about to argue back but laughed instead "Well I guess you can say that, though if you had seen me you wouldn't have!" she said, thinking he couldn't argue with that.
Her hair looked completely messed up but then again it always was. But she didn't mind, what was the point batteling with it? She knew it would always win when faced with a brush.
"Come off it! Everyone does, I mean your captin, keeper and prefect! They'd be mad not to!" she said truthfully, hearing both the sarcasm and bitterness. "Or would you rather you weren't any of those things?" she added her voice dripping sarcasm. She found sarcasm usually got the point through to people, they listened more when you were sarcastic. "That can't be true! There probably busy! Infact there probably looking for you right now." she said confidently smiling at him.
"Oh hey Nina!" she said smiling warmly and returning the hug. "I know, where've you been hiding?" she asked winking. "Seriously though how've you been? How were your holidays?" she asked, praying that she wouldn't return the question. "Here sit down," she said, clearing the snow from the log next to her and revealing her freezing hands. Touching the snow made them even number then they already were. But then again if she was numb she couldn't feel anything, no pain. She wished her emotions would numb.

 

[Nina Patrokov]

Nina took a seat beside Harri and said, "I've been better, I haven't seen Asher in a bit, and we sleep in the same room, how odd is that." Nina frowned lightly then said, "My holidays were okay, I was hoping Alex would come back with me, but no, so I spent New Years all by myself, were yours any better?" Nina hoped for Harri's sake they were because she only told a bit of it, she had gotten a letter from her mom and it wasn't good news. "How are you both doing?" Nina asked curiously.

 

[Noah Lewis]

Noah saw Harri look around and he seemed to follow in suit when he noticed the shining sun. He wondered how it could still give off so much light but be so cold it wasn't funny. Noah could even feel the tip of his nose getting colder. Maybe he should have dressed warmer though at the time he thought of nothing but to get out of the way of people and to think of something. The forbidden forest seemed like the only place to do that.

Noah laughed a bit when Harri said she was useless at doing anything like designing a dress "Join the club" Noah teased though he was sort of glad that he couldn't make a dress. That would probaly give people the wrong image. Though when she talked about how she didn't look wonderful at the ball Noah was going to agrue but he decided to drop it. "Well the next ball I will have to hunt you down to make sure I see" Noah joked knowing that he probably wouldn't be back here for anymore dances or balls. He was actually going home after this year or at least he was supposed to.

"I like being all those things" Noah said knowing that he loved them all but still he wasn't fond of that being what described him. When people heard the name Noah Lewis they automatically were like oh yes the Slytherin Prefect or oh yes the Slytherin Keeper and Captain. Even sometimes it lead to oh yes Asher's boy. The last one he didn't mind so much though.

Noah was going to agrue about the friend topic when Nina showed up. "Oh hey Nina" Noah said a bit surprised that she popped up after not seeing her for what seemed like forever. "I know I haven't seen you either. What have you been up to?" Noah asked as she looked over at Harri for a second who looked freezing. "I would start a fire" He offered "If we weren't located in the forbidden forest and well it was forbidden to be here" Noah teased.

"And I know I haven't seen Asher either I was starting to worry that I have done something wrong" Noah said as he listened to Nina for a bit. "But I've been ok keeping to myself mostly" He added

 

[Nina Patrokov]

"I've just been thinking a lot, you know with the tournament, Alex and all that stuff," Nina said in a soft voice. Then said, "What about you? I mean I haven't seen you since Christmas!" Nina was a little shocked by this but it was true, Nina frowned at the thought, though Noah and Nina weren't close, Noah was her best friends boyfriend and the only guy friend Nina had here aside from Alex, but that didn't really count because they were dating.

"Same here, the last time I saw her for a bit of time was when we told you about the adoption," Nina said truthfully then sighed sadly. "Maybe we should both make more of an effort I mean, Asher got a letter from Abbey and ever since then hasn't been the same." Nina said truthfully.

 

[Harriet Turner]

"That is kinder odd," Harri said, smiling at her friend. Her mind turned to home, right now she wanted to be there, with her dad, James and Tommy. Just sitting there messing around like they did. It mostly invovled the boys taking the mick out of her but she loved the way her family was so relaxed! She never felt any pressure to be anyone but herself with them! Well thats if you didn't count her mum. But Harri no longer counted her, she had jetted off to California to live with some boyfriend or another. She didn't really care about Harri, not really. Harri could often see it in her mothers eyes, the way she struggled to love her, struggled to come around the fact that her daughter wasn't perfect, she couldn't except flaws, she wanted everyone to be perfect. But that wasn't possible and Harri had given up trying. Afterall she herself was about as far from perfect as you could get.
She was glad that Noah responded quicker then her, leaving the question about her holidays an long unanswered question. She shot a look at him to say thank you, despite the fact that she guessed he hadn't done it on purpose.
"Don't talk about fires I'm freezing!" she said laughing and rubbing her stone cold hands together in an attempt to get the blood rushing through her fingers again.
She felt a little out of the picture as they began to talk about Asher so kept quite thinking it would do Noah good to talk about Asher with someone who knew her properly. Her mind trailed slowly behind them, as they spoke all she could do was stare out at the snow. It seemed thats what she had done for the day, watch the snow fall. But she wasn't comlaining, she was glad she had came out here. Glad she had met Noah, and glad she had talked about her problems with someone who wasn't constantly trying to tell her what she wanted to hear.

 

[Nina Patrokov]

Nina had noticed that Harri hadn't answered her question about her break and gave her a worried look and then shook it off and offered, "You want some gloves?" Nina always wore two pairs incase it got really cold, because it was better to be hot then cold.

"So Harri how are classes going?" Nina asked in attempt to get her into the conversation. Nina really felt bad, every time the two of them got together and someone else was added into the equation she would be quiet and end up leaving.

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri smiled at Nina, thinking. She was doing alot of thinking lately, but she knew it was helping. Sometimes she needed to talk but other times it was better to keep it in. She thought others might think her completely bonkers if she shared some of the thoughts that lingered in her mind. She wondered how long it would keep snowing for, afterall it was March and spring was just around the corner and the weather in New Zealand often became very hot, very early on.
Snow flakes coated her eyelashes and she could feel their icyness chilling her through and through, but there was no point complaining, she loved the snow and in no time at all it would be all gone.
"Oh that would be great! Thanks," she said snapping out of her trance and smiling at Ninas offer of gloves. "You keep them actually, I'm already cold, theres no point you getting cold aswell!" she said, seeing Nina was wearing the gloves.
"Okay I guess," she said shrugging "Nothing special, DADA's good. Learning prank jinxes," she said with a feeble laugh, "It's nice to get out of the castle though! Feeling a bit stuffy in the common room!" Plus I couldn't face a room full of Gryffindors right now. she said inwardely. "How about you? Classes okay?" she asked. Then a thought struck her mind, Gosh I'm a bad friend not saying something before she thought harshely to her self, "I can't believe the tournaments cancelled! You must be so disappionted!" she said putting an arm around her, "Even if you know you would of only got 2nd!" she added jokily, in an attempt to sound more like her old self.

 

[Nina Patrokov]

"I'm wearing two pairs..." Nina said with a small smile then took a pair off and handed them to Harri. Nina sighed as she looked at her surroundings, she didn't want to be here, she most deffinatly wanted to be at the second task kicking Hilary's and Cameron's butt. Nina smiled at this thought then made a large frown, she would never get the chance to make her school proud again.

Nina shrugged her shoulders and said honestly, "Classes are simple, a little too simple it's getting a tad irratating." Then she looked over at Harri and sighed when she mentioned the tournament and said, "I wanted to win so badly, now I don't get the chance." Nina didn't care how selfish that sounded it was the truth she hated that stupid Death Eater for takng her shot away. Nina gave Harri a trying smile when she made a joke.

"How's Hilary handleing it?" Nina asked absentmindedly, she had a feeling she was going to feel worse about it because she had all the expectation from the whole school, meanwhile her school didn't have the slightest idea, even her best friend didn't know, or didn't care.

 

[Harriet Turner]

Harri gratefully recieved the gloves and put them on. She felt the warmth from Ninas hands beginning to rush through her fingers. She wasn't numb anymore. Now she could see what she had too do, well part of it. She knew she had to talk to Kevin, but how? When? What would she say? Because she knew everytime she saw him she would melt. Any plans she had made about relationship talk would die in her throat and she knew that. Right now as she looked over at Nina all she wanted to do was ask her advice, but she stopped herself as soon as she heard about Ninas longing for the tournament, Harri couldn't dump something like this on her, not when she was already going through so much.
"I know, and I know you would of had a shot." She said, she felt bad for Nina, "I mean after Hilary of course," she added with a quick flash of a grin. "Its so annoying. I'm annoyed for you! I really am." she said nodding, "But it wouldn't be right to carry on. Not without someone there who made everything right, who made everything have a point, a purpose, ..." she stopped blushing, she had started talking about her own problems not Ninas. "I mean we couldn't carry on with Professor Barker," she stammered, praying Nina didn't notice her slip.
She looked down at her converses, shaking her foot to try and get rid of some of the snow that was building up.