Getting away from it all (Invitation only)

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:29 am

Victoria was excited to finally get out of the school for a day. She really enjoyed the stuff they were learning, but she wanted a day to feel like a regular girl for just a few hours.

She happily entered the cozy little shop and found a seat near the window, waiting for Tess to arrive. She had asked her here, feeling like they never really got a chance to just talk, both not wanting to take class time to do so.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:26 pm

Tess was running towards the tea shop and she looked at the time, she seemed to be running a little late. She took long because she was so excited about not having to wear uniforms and couldn't decide what to wear.

Walking in, she looked around and saw that Victoria was there, finding herself there she walked over and sat down on the other side.

"Hi, sorry I'm late"

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:00 pm

Victoria was happy to see Tess. With all the classes it seemed like it's been forever. "Don't worry about it. We've got all day." She smiled.

She really liked Tess's new hair style this year, though she hadn't remembered to tell her so. It made her look more mature. Especially for a 12 year old. This thought turned her towards the ever changing dynamics of Tess and Xander.

"So how is the crazy boy drama treating you?" She couldn't help but raise her eyebrow with a smirk. It was strange to actually be talking about boys, since they didn't really seem to matter last year.

She signaled for a waitress and ordered some pumpkin tea. She'd seen it on the menu and wondered how it would differ from pumpkin juice.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:04 pm

Tess was glad that Victoria wasn't bothered, but that all changed as soon as she heard the question. She felt herself blush immediately from her question, it had taken her from surprise.

"Boy drama?" she repeated.

She glared lightly seeing Victoria smirk, no that's not fair she was supposed to be the one smirking. She stayed quiet, especially when the waitress came over and handed both of them a kettle of tea and their cups..

"Xander and I ...we....I....nothing"

Immediately after saying that she felt like she could hit herself because she mentioned him. Looking down she frowned even more.

" We're nothing"

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:17 pm

Victoria knew she'd hit a sore spot. "Ok. Sorry." And she meant it. Tess was her closest friend and she didn't want to upset her.

Settling back in the cozy chair, she drank her tea, relishing in the warmth. She decided to ask about something less...touchy. "How 'bout the rest of the Slytherins? Are the first years annoying you yet?"

Victoria still felt weird about being a second year. Especially since some of these first years had grown up in the wizarding world, already making her feel inferior.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:23 pm

Tess shook her head and looked up at her friend.

"No it's fine...he made it clear we have nothing in common, it's never been clearer" she commented calmly.

She poured tea into both their cups and she lifted her own taking a long hot sip not caring if it burned. She hissed softly and placed her cup down and let out a small smile.

" No no one has...yet" she said laughing softly. "Have any first year...oh I don't know a Slytherin been pestering you?"

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:34 pm

Victoria blushed. "Well...Yes, actually."

She felt awkward now, having the tables turned on her. She was brave in many situations, but dealing with boys was not one of them. "I honestly have no clue what I'm doing. Luke is really nice, but I've never actually liked anyone before and I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up completely!"

This all came out in a rush and she had to stop for air. It felt good to get it out in the open. She calmed down, remembering that Tess was her best friend and wouldn't judge her.

"I'm afraid my being a Gryffindor and a muggle-born will come between us. But then why am I thinking of an us? I hardly know him?" She paused, realizing she was talking non-stop. "I'm really sorry, Tess. I have no one else to talk to about this. I'm not close to any other Gryffindors." This sits oddly with her, realizing that it was a weird situation.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:00 pm

Taking a slow sip, he looked at her sympathetically. She never knew Victoria was so self-conscious about her heritage. She forgot briefly that no one thought like Tess and was tolerant about about it all.

"First of all, there is nothing wrong about your heritage" she said shaking her head. " Another thing...don't worry...Luke seems nice and I don't think you could possibly mess up."

She didn't want to be biased, not wanting to dislike Luke because of his relation to Xander.

"But remember that don't ever think of keeping something from me. When you want to talk to someone, talk to me, I trust you and you trust me"

She smiled softly.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:13 pm

Victoria let go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I'm really sorry, Tess. I guess at times my mind thinks I'm still back in a school where I'm invisible."

No one gave a rat's rear end about her back in public school. She didn't know if it was the design of the education or her own personal self-consciousness that brought it on, but she didn't want to go back to that, so was bound and determined to make this school experience different.

"So what's knew with you?...Besides anything with Xander!" She rushed on. "He doesn't exist here. I put a spell on this tea shop where no stupid, self-absorbed boys exist!" She waved her arms around like the witches in muggle movies she used to watch, hoping this would keep Tess's mind in a good place.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:18 pm

Tess found herself laughing genuinely at Victoria's silliness. She really appreciated it, because no one had ever cared so much to try and get her out of her mood. She took a small bite of a cucumber sandwich and smiled.

"Well...I've been working on....I want to be an animagus, I'm working on it...I saw paws." she murmured softly not wanting people to hear.

She didn't want to think about boys, especially Xander, she disliked thinking about him because it reminded her of how week she was,

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:23 pm

Victoria was surprised, to say the least. She'd only seen animagus' briefly mentioned once and didn't really understand them. She didn't even know someone could BECOME one.

"Really! What's made you want to do that? I honestly don't know much about them." She wondered what Tess would turn into, making her wonder what she herself would turn into if she ever tried.

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:48 pm

Tess appreciated not only the distraction, but Victoria's enthusiasm. She took another sip of tea and another bite and smiled.

"Well...I was interested because my mother gave me a book and..and I want to do it because it seemed complicated" she said chuckling. "I know I sound ambitious, but it's true. It's a long process..and Professor Romain gave me another book as well"

by **Victoria Rossmund** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:53 pm

"Wow." Victoria exclaimed. She didn't care that she probably looked like a doe eyes idiot. "It must be awesome to have your own personal ambitions that an adult actually take seriously. I'm actually a little jealous."

Victoria had put so much effort into everything, and everything was so new to her, that she still wasn't sure what her favorite subjects were. She'd really enjoyed flying, but hadn't heard anything about Quidditch yet this year. She hoped it would actually happen, since nothing seemed to last year.

Then she remembered something she'd said in charms class. "Hey! Do you think our new charms teacher could help me make a Patronus Charm? Like the one you told me about the night of the battle."

by **Tess McCartney** Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:06 pm

Tess knew that there was a big change and that was that Victoria was becoming more open. She was so much more open and ambitious and she was happy about it.

"I think so! My parents taught me it, and I think Charms would be a perfect class, that or DADA" she said smiling.

Looking out the window, she was glad that she could have a calm day with Victoria.

"Are you going out with Luke this free week?" she asked curiously. "I heard rumors"

by **Victoria Rossmund** Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:55 am

Victoria blushed and looked down at her tea cup. "Yeah actually." She couldn't help but smile.

"He asked me when we bumped into each other in the kitchens. I think he mentioned Honeydukes. I really hope that's where we go, I've always wanted to, but really had no reason."

She was excited to get time alone with him, to maybe get to know him better. But she was still worried she'd say something stupidly muggle and that he'd laugh at her. Then it hit her. "Rumors?!?"

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:22 am

Tess giggled and nodded.

"Hm...well it was funny actually. I'm living with Tabi, she's my roommate this year and it was funny because she had heard something about Luke and how he was interested in someone. People were saying it was a Gryffindor and others were saying it was a Slytherin, all were jumbled up in lies"

She shook her head and looked out the window.

"It's hard to keep a secret in that castle" she explained.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:33 pm

Victoria was shocked. She was honestly uncomfortable with people talking about her, but she needed to get over it. Just like Tess said, hard to keep a secret around Hogwarts.

"Well, I don't talk to a lot of people, so I guess they have to make up some things about me."

She wasn't sure what to think, now that people were talking about Luke maybe liking someone else. "You know, I never thought about someone else liking Luke. Though it shouldn't be surprising. I just...yeah." Now I'm stammering. Great!

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:39 pm

Tess tilted her head and looked at her confused. But something clicked and she shook her head.

"Victoria, they don't know it's you...please they thought it was me at first until I had to spread a rumor about me being with someone else" she said rolling her eyes.

Slytherins were known to talk within one another.

"So people might like him, big deal, you're the one he's taking out this weekend not some other girl" she said softly.

Victoria needed to be more confident, and realize what a catch she was.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:40 pm

Victoria smiled shyly. "I guess you're right. I've just never really liked anyone before. I just thought boys were a waste of time."

She thought about Luke. It wasn't that he was some amazing gift sent from the heavens. It was just that, for the first time, she wondered what a boy thought and actually cared. It was strange.

"Who did you say you were with!" She had her hopes, but didn't want to push her friend. While Victoria knew she was a babbling idiot when it came to boys, it felt like Tess was a ticking time bomb around them.

by **Tess McCartney** Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:41 pm

Tess smiled at how Victoria was finally seeing some sense to it all. All hopes were dashed to avoid the boy topic as Victoria asked her the question.

Boys was a subject that both found different terms to it. Victoria was shy and self-conscious about how to act around them. It fit her personality on the usual, but her reaction was totally different. Tess was confused at how she acted. She usually never really reacted to a boy being around her, she talked to many boys, but somehow recently a certain one made her shift from a calm expression to one of anger to one of embarrassment and all the emotional terms in the emotional cycle. It was maddening really.

She felt herself flush and mumbled something before taking a long sip of tea. Her cheeks were burning up even more when she realized she looked like a fool in front of her friend.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:50 pm

Victoria smiled at her friend, trying to reassure her. Obviously it wasn't something she really wanted to talk about. Tess has mumbled an answer, but Victoria knew she was never meant to have actually heard.

"You don't have to tell me, Tess. But know that I won't make fun of you. Like you said, I trust you, you trust me. You're my best friend."

It meant a lot to Victoria that she could actually trust someone. She tried to be brave in front of most people, but she was gradually letting Tess see how vulnerable she really was.

by **Tess McCartney** Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:03 pm

Tess smiled softly and took a deep breath.

"Yeah you're right...you are my best friend." she said softly. "I said it was Xander"

She felt her cheeks flush and took a long sip of tea letting the tea burn her mouth as if it was her swallowing her words.

by **Victoria Rossmund** Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:13 pm

Victoria smiled, hearing who she had hoped. Trying to make light of it she said, "Well lets not let him know that. He may get crazy ideas and then how would you be able to get into the common room with his ego taking up the place?"

She stretched in her chair and drank the last few sips of her tea.

"She we head back to the school? I've got a 5,000 word essay to write for Occlumency that's going to be the death of me."

She hoped the class would be worth the time she took to get into it.

by **Tess McCartney** Wed Feb 29, 2012 4:24 pm

Tess groaned and covered her face that was so red from the thought. Oh Merlin what were people thinking now?! If Xander found out that she came up with that lie, she wouldn't know what to do.

"Merlin" she groaned "Yes please"