"Just what I need on a night like this..."(anyone)

[dana]

Feeling thoughts swirl around her head, Dana sighed and picked up a quill and a torn piece of parchment from a near-by table. Glancing outside fro a moment, Dana closed her eyes and placed her quill on the parchment. She wrote the words after each-other in a kind of a free-writing form. It was relaxing for her from time to time.

The sound of the water-fall is calming and the silvery moonlight transfers every drop of water into a glittering pearl of silver. Wind whispers softly between leaves and nothing disturbs the quiet serenity. You feel the serenity flowing into you and your worries and doubts are left behind and forgotten.
A silvery unicorn comes into view from between trees and you wonder how could anyone not believe in fairy-tales?
You close your eyes tightly and there they are – gorgeous fairies singing and dancing. Charmed you step forward and someone’s hands pull you along in the quick dance.
You reach your arms up to meet the morning dew and twirl in childish joy finally feeling free... Unhurt...Your hair sways around you and you have never felt better. You are ready to fly to greet the dawn with the fairies, when you feel something touching you. It’s your old tattered and so worn teddy that none the less is so unbelievable dear. You suddenly recall all those nights when your mother kissed your forehead in a good-night wish... How your father threw you high into the air and how happy you were when he caught you again and carried you around safely in his arms. Mind pictures of happy moments with your family, chats with your best friend flash in front of your eyes. And you feel a lone tear falling from your eye...
You close your eyes to wipe the burning tear away and when you look again the fairies and fantasy-land are gone. You are back in your room...In a comforting bed, tightly hugging a teddy-bear. You see books on your table, that math-problem you never solved, an essay left too short. There is the picture of you with your crush. And suddenly you understand so clearly that you don’t need fairies to take you flying to the fantasy-land.
Everything you need is right here – your mother, your father, your friends, your teddy, your crush...
Your home...


Having finished Dana started to reread the short scribble she had written and corrected a couple of mistakes, before smiling. It was nowhere near her best work, but something in it appealed to Dana. It would be enough of a fantasy for a muggle kid, so maybe she would send the scribble to Meredith – Meredith might be able to use some small parts from it, when she held a ‘Young Writers’ night in the book-store Dana’s grand-parents owned for muggles. Kids from different age-groups came together and they could discuss books or write or get audience to read what they wrote. It was a really nice idea actually.

Dana placed the piece of parchment on the couch besides her and while curling one leg under her closed her eyes, not noticing that the parchment flew onto the ground a bit further as she reached over to place the quill back onto the table from where she had borrowed it. It might work in the sense of giving a small push to some kids imagination. And it had smoothened Dana’s nervous for today. So the scribble had done it’s work as far as Dana was concerned.

“It's just what I need on a night like this
A long walk in the dark, someone I can't resist
A little rendezvous, a little mystery
When I look at you I think that's just what I need”<br>
Dana quoted silently more to herself, as she recalled the short poem she had read from somewhere. She liked it and it fit her mood for the evening.

[Lenora Byers]

Lenora moped around her dorm room with nothing to do because she had decided to feel morose today. It was a feeling she had not expressed in a very long time and she decided today would be the day she let out all of her pent up misery. Her clothes were all black and her long blond hair was left hanging straight, she had done nothing to make it look nice. After applying some black eyeliner around the rims of her eyes Lenora made her way sluggishly down to the Student Lounge. She receive curios looks here and there from her fellow Gryffindors in the common room because they were not used to Lenora being anything but euphoric, dancing around the room to a song she was singing. But not today and nobody dared to question why, they knew of Lenora’s dramatics and that they would either receive a non-answer or a story filled to the brim with overdramatic woe should they ask.

She made a big show of her gloom as she dragged her feet down the long hallways of the castle, which served as her home, Hogwarts. She purposely choose the busiest corridors to traverse so she would be pushed this way and that. As she threw open the door to the Student’s Lounge she felt many eyes on her and smiled inwardly while picking a path up near the fire. Seemingly nonchalantly she slumped down beside a girl who looked to be around her age and was likely in the grade ahead. There was a scrap of paper on her end of the table and Lenora picked it up wondering what it was. As she read the poem she figured it must be the girl sitting next to hers. It was a beautiful poem and at that moment Lenora knew she and the girl would be great friends, all they need was to know each other.

Never one to be shy Lenora put the poem back on the table and pushed it over to the girl. “Did you write this?” she asked in a tone she hoped expressed how impressed she was but did not break her mask of despair. “My name is Lenora by the way.”<br>

[dana]

Dana had been rather lost in her thoughts so she was a bit startled when someone spoke to her. Opening her eyes Dana glanced at the paper she was holding and discovered it was the short story she had written.
“The story is mine – just a swirl of thoughts rather than a story actually. The poem doesn’t belong to me though. But I don’t know who wrote it in reality,” Dana answered taking in the girl. She was about a year younger than Dana, but that didn’t really matter. She had blond hair and all her clothes were black, which didn’t look bad actually. For some reason Dana used to think that blonds and people with a more pale skin-color should wear at least one piece of color with black.

“I just recalled the verse right now. Guess I’m in the mood for something mystical or a chat or even someone I can’t resist,” Dana grinned at the other girl, ”I’m Dana.”<br>Tilting her head Dana wondered white the girl looked a bit melodramatic – at least her expression looked like that. Or some despair?
“I’m not that good at writing poems. I have a couple of shorter ones though,” half-closing her eye-lids Dana quoted one of her poems:


“To tire of fear
and pain and lies
secrecy and shame,

anger and battles,
constant losses,
to feel this is the end.

To give up everything pointless,
To understand that life
Doesn’t have value or price.

If I’d dare to loose I’d turn away
To just leave this place.”<br>

Dana brushed back a loose bring of hair and grinned: “Or I’m in a poetic mood today. That poem is mine. I have a couple of hours but it just felt nice right now. Sorry, if I’m boring you to death. But what about you – ever written anything?”<br>
((OOC: That poem is mine, but it doesn't sound half that good in English as it does in my mother lagnuage. iIt's only a rough translation made within a minute so pardon thel mistakes and offsounds))

[Lenora Byers]

Lenora was impressed as the girl said that she wrote the story but that the poem was someone else’s, but she didn’t smile, she was too miserable to smile. Inwardly though she grinned as the girl said she was in the mood for something mystical including a simple chat; she knew the feeling well. “I know exactly what you are saying. This morning I drew the creativity card and find it coming out in all I have done.”<br>
The girl then introduced herself as Dana and Lenora managed a weak smile in acknowledgment. She then recited a poem of her own and Lenora closed her eyes to let the words wash over her. Her eyes snapped open though as Dana apologized if she was boring her. “Never ever apologize for your own creativity. If someone has a problem with it then they aren’t worth the apology.” She said with the weak smile back on her face.

“I do write in fact. I don’t really do poetry, never really been a niche of mine, but stories. Short stories mainly, sometimes songs. I have been told I use poetic language; but I have always been at a loss when it comes to poetry itself. My main outlet though is the theater. At heart I am an actress. It is my gift and my curse; I can be anyone and do anything, but everything I feel hits me so hard.” She said in a very melodramatic way with a sigh.

[dana]

“Drew the creativity card?” Dana was dumb-found for a moment, before it suddenly hit her, “Oh… You like Divination and foretelling?” Dana didn’t believe in divination actually. Maybe because she had no talent in it what so ever. Dana wondered if Lenora’s belief in supernatural forces where why she looked so miserable, but Dana didn’t want to ask, so to not insult the other girl.

Dana grinned at Lenora, pulling one of her legs under her as she leaned her head on her right arm, that was leaning on the back of the couch: “I usually don’t apologize – if I write then I do it for my own pleasure and don’t really care what others think. But why bore others with it, if they don’t want to hear it? I’m satisfied with the relaxation it brings me.”<br>
“Actress? That’s neat. DO you just play or have you taken any lessons ever as well?” Dana asked curiously as Lenora had finished, ignoring the melodramatic sigh,“Or have you ever had some part in a play? Or do you write your own plays for yourself?”<br>

[Lenora Byers]

Lenora dipped her head in recognition as Dana asked if she believed in divination. “I find the results I have received just too real to ignore. I draw a Zen card every day; it tells me what strengths I will have/need through the day. Today it told me I will have an abundance of creativity that will escape into all I do.” Lenora explained her reference to drawing creativity.

Dana explained that she didn’t apologize for her creativity; she simply didn’t feel the need to bore others with it. “Anybody who can be bored with a creative person, a writer, a dancer, a poet, whatever, deserves to be bored. They are missing out on the best part of life and need to be exposed to it. The only way I can understand someone thinking they are bored of it is if they have only been exposed to poor quality. Therefore it is only merciful to show them the finer side of life.” She said and would usually punctuate that with a grin; but not today. Today she only gave a weak smile and glanced around the student lounge.

She listened as Dana questioned whether or not she had ever taken acting lesion. “Well I have had an acting coach since I was about five. I was always performing from when I learnt to stand and talk. And so for my fifth birthday I was given an acting coach and have considered myself an actress ever since. I have been in plays but I haven’t been able to do anything in the school year since I began at Hogwarts. This summer though I will be playing the part of Juliet in a play put on in London.” Lenora said.

[dana]

Dana laughed at Lenore’s explanation about people loosing a lot, if they were bored of the finer arts. “I think you are right. I have never actually thought about it from that side” Dana grinned and then thought about what Lenore had said about Zen cards. Dana didn’t really believe in stuff like that, but maybe it was because she had no talent what so ever in the subject. Bu the Zen-card system sounded curious, even though Dana wouldn’t pick it up herself.
“Really? How do the Zen-cards work? I have no talent in Divination what-so-ever. It was fun when some gypsy at some fair read my hand one day though,” Dana recalled the event.

“Juliet?” Dana let out a loud whistle of admiration as Lenore told her she would playing Juliet in summer, “Wow, that’s awesome! When is the play? I would want to see that, so I could be so proud that I know the Juliet actress. But to talk seriously- I would like to see it. When’s the play and where? You must be real good to get that part!”<br>

[Lenora Byers]

Lenora thought about Dana’s question… how did Zen cards work? To be honest she really didn’t know how any of the divination stuff worked, she was just glad it did. “Oh I have always loved divination; my mother was great at it. When I was young my mother used to teach me what my tealeaves said and how to read tarot cards. I have never really understood how it all worked though… But Zen cards are like most tarot sets only they go off the ideas f Zen Buddhism. So you pull a card everyday and every card had an idea or a lesson of some kind to keep in mind that day. So today I got creativity…” Lenora finished weakly. She didn’t want to get too into what she was saying lest she break the spell of unhappiness she had cast. ((OOC: figure of speech, I realized after I typed it but I like it so it’s not coming out.)) “You could always try them you know. I don’t have them on me at the moment but later.” She said allowing herself a small smile.

Dana then made a big deal about Lenora’s role and she soaked in the attention like a fish to water. Lenora adored attention and knew just how to get it. And she hadn’t been trying to get attention just then of course but… it’s never a bad thing. Well the play is going to be in London at the… something theater I don’t remember. I can get you a couple tickets later though. It’s going to be this summer on August 24th. It’s great that it’s late so I can rehearse with the rest of the cast in the beginning of the summer because I cant now. It’s a muggle production so… I can’t exactly rehearse with them through the school year you know? That’s the bad thing with going to Hogwarts; I cant continue my dancing or acting during the school year because my coaches are muggles and I cant work with anyone else.” She went on to Dana.

[dana]

Dana listened to Lenora’s explanation rather curiously. The idea was intriguing actually and might be fun from time to time, but Dana doubted it was something for her, as she didn’t believe in stuff like that.
“I doubt I’ll pick up the habit myself though, however interesting it may sound. I don’t believe in fortune-telling actually. It’s good for a laugh from time to time, but I don’t take it seriously. Have to admit, that I resort to thinking stuff out or using something out of some book for my Divination homework.” Dana grimaced at the thought – maybe it was the Ravenclaw part in her that irked Dana to no end about this, but Dana didn’t hide the truth either.

“August 24th. I think I should be in London then,” Dana said doing a quick calculation in her head, “Yes, I am. I’ll be coming in the middle of August. My grand-parents want to expand their business and they are buying out some bankrupt store in England, so I’ll be in country.”<br>Turning her attention back to Lenora, Dana smiled, rather liking the other girl: “I can always send you an owl to get more information about it, right? I think I’d like to see it – muggle show or not. Muggles are sometimes even better than wizards, if we take the fact that muggles don’t have magic helping them, in account.”<br>
Dana let her head roll back a little as she moved into a more comfortable position: “I didn’t really like Romeo and Juliet though. They were both fools in my opinion – stalling too long and not having the guts to do what they wanted, then killing themselves before checking thoroughly if the other was really dead with no help being possible to give them. I just didn’t like the personalities of Romeo and Juliet, even though Shakespeare isn’t a bad author.”<br>

[Lenora Byers]

Lenora gave another small smile as Dana mentioned making things up for her divination homework and not believing in fortune telling; it was hard to be in a bad mood with this girl. “Well I think we all do that. It’s not like the eye sees on request you know. Something Trelawney has yet to figure out apparently…” Lenora said with a smirk that would disgust a Slytherin but was pretty good for her. She could never figure out how the Slytherin’s went blank like that, so cold at the drop of a hat. As an actress she had of course schooled her face so she could go blank and things but there was always some residual warmth there, not like a Slytherin…<br>
Dana mentioned that she should be in London the day of the opening and would send Lenora an owl when they both have more information. “Oh that sounds just lovely; I can send you as many tickets as you need so we will figure it all out then.” Lenora said pleased as Dana mentioned muggles sometimes being better than wizards. “Well I think it all depends on the individual not the whether magic runs through their veins or no. But some of the ways they compensate are ingenious you know.”<br>
As Dana stated a poor opinion of Romeo and Juliet Lenora was not forced to use her acting skills as she frowned at the girl. “That’s the whole point of the story; they were in love. They were irrational and didn’t care which way was up, all that mattered was that they were together. And their horrid families kept that from happening so they reached out and took drastic measures which ended poorly but at least in the company of each other.” Lenora said with a dramatic sigh at the end as she slumped down in her seat as if her impassioned speech had taken the whole of her energy.

[vika]

Vika walk in to the lounge seeing to girls she recongied she waled over to them and asked with a simple Question Romeo or Juliet

[dana]

Dana grinned as Lenora smirked. Or at least tried to. Nobody besides Slytherins could pull off a complete smirk. Dana had some practice at it as well, but she was nowhere at the level of the worst SLytherins.
“Think they teach smirking and looking absolutely emotionless in the dungeons? As every Slytherin seems to know how to do it? Just picture Sanpe teaching it in the Slytherin common room,” Dana painted the mind-picture for herself with half-closed eye-lids, grinning at the image she got, before nodding in agreement to Lenora’s opinion about muggles.

Dana shook her head with certainty after listening to what Lenora thought of Romeo and Juliet: “No, I don’t agree with you. Alright, so they were kept apart? There are always ways to meet. They could just run off – not with all those ridiculously drastic measures. What could their parents have done? Even if one parents had disowned them, then the other person’s parents had just welcomed them instead. And come on – when you meet someone who looks out cold, you check to see if the other person is still alive. There is always some hope. Would you slam a knife into your heart if you saw a guy on the floor unconscious? I doubt it. You’d rather check his breathing and pulse first.”<br>Dana didn’t understand the behavior Romeo and Juliet displayed. Maybe it was because Dana herself had too rational way of thinking to appreciate something like that. She liked Shakespeare in general – some of the guys other plays were good. Dan’s favorite was ‘Taming of the Shrew’, but too much tragedy that didn’t make sense grated Dana’s logical mind. Tilting her head Dana waited to hear Lenora's responce to her opinion of the play.

[vika]

"I love Juliet she seems dedecated to Romeo.But Iwont kill myself for him to rasional." Vika said it seemed like they wernt paying attention.

[Lenora Byers]

Still slumped down in her chair Lenora raised an eyebrow as Dana questioned whether they taught smirking in the Slytherin Common Room; it was curios that it seemed to come to easy to them all. “Likely; either that or there is simply so much sadism around that even those not innately evil pick up on it.” Lenora replied nonchalantly.

She was appalled as Dana re-iterated why she didn’t agree with Lenora; how could this girl know so little about love? Love wasn’t rational… “Have you ever been head over heels? No offence but something tells me you haven’t; its like being hit in the head with a shovel… You can't think of anything but the pain and all rational is out the window. And when you have fallen that hard for someone all you can think about is the now, and being with them now. When you feel isolated from them that’s all you can think about and you come up with all these crazy ideas of how you could get them with you once more… Then when you have an idea its like a plan set in stone…” Lenora explained in a far off voice remembering the countless times she had felt like that.

[dana]

“I wouldn’t call Slytherins sadistic. Mean, bullying and partial to brutality – yes, but I personally rather enjoy verbal spars with them from time to time,” Dana counted Lenora’s comment about Slytherins absent-mindedly, as she was much more interested in the argument about Romeo and Juliet. Dana understood Lenora’s pointing her head, her heart just refused to believe it.

“No, I haven’t been swept off my feet so far. I can flirt, dance, laugh, enjoy a guys company, but I have never loved someone that completely. Nor even crushed at anyone very seriously,” Dana replied, before taking a deep breath, to explain her point, “I understand that you might be a little out of the ordinary when in love, but if your lovers life depends on it, then you should be able to think for a moment and not just run around panicking. Or pushing a knife through your heart – whichever the case is. If you can think, then you both may have a chance to live happily ever-after, if not then you both just die. And no offence, but I love life too much to see anything romantic about dying.”

[zyexria]

Zyexria’s ears perked up as she heard the words love and die wafting through the air. She glanced in the direction of the conversation which had produced those snippets and smiled as she vaguely recognized an older looking girl from her House was in the group.
She cautiously approached the group and said, “Ever think that there might have been more to the story than what we were given? Have you ever wondered what Romeo and Juliet were into besides the idea that they were in love?”<br>
Zyexria looked at each of the 3 girls in turn, even giving the Slytherin girl a small raised eyebrow. She’d have to ask one of her siblings how they all managed to look so superior all the time.

[dana]

Dana looked up as one more girl joined them. A third year Ravenclaw, so Dana nodded in greeting with a small smile, as she knew the girl. She probably knew her because she couldn’t pronounce her name nor even know how she was supposed to do it, but Dana still knew her face.
“Actually I have. I read an article Romeo and Juliet once about their backgrounds. About their families and interests and all that. It talked about the families that something almost like what Shakespeare wrote even took place. Romeo dying was certain, but about Juliet. Well, I’m not sure how much truth there was in the article, but it said that after two months after Romeo’s death Juliet married an other,” Dana told the others the main point of the article. It had been interesting material to read – Dana wasn’t sure how much she could believe from it, but she had never thought about Romeo and Juliet in the same way again.

[Lenora Byers]

((sorry Zyexria I'm confused… what Slytherin? There is only a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor here- can you please explain what you meant?))

Lenora sighed in resignation as Dana explained she had never had a serious crush. “You know it's easy to say anything when its still hypothetical; we can talk more about it when you have experienced the blow to the head.” She said ready to let the topic drop before when somebody else joined them. Lenora was lost as she mentioned there being more to the story; it was a work of fiction how could there possibly be more. Dana then began on a speech about some article she had read claiming Juliet had lived and married someone else. “Girls its fiction; there can't be more to the story. And think about the time it was written in, the chances of it being based off real life are slim to none. And even if it was real; it’s the play that’s important not some people who died hundreds of years ago. Ergo, no there is nothing more to the story, what is written is their entire existence. Fictional characters have no past, no future, just what's written.” Lenora said as if they were silly children having such crazy thoughts; why was the written word not enough for some people?

“I'm Lenora by the way and that’s Dana if you don't know her.” Lenora told the newcomer realising she didn’t know the girls name and she likely didn’t know theirs.

[zyexria]

(I misread the psost the metioned a "sneer that would make a Slytherin ill", hence i thout one was in the group. Or maybe i'm just looney and imagined it... a i can't seem to locate it again)

"Love, if it really exists just seems like a really dangerous thing." Zyexria shook her head. " I mean the romantic love that is. It seems to make people do crazy and sometimes stupid things. I just can't emotional see why Juliet would take the route she did...... it seems that niether really thought anything through."

Zyexria smield at both girls and introduced herself. " I'm Zyexira...or Zi for short."

[dana]

Dana shrugged towards Lenora easily: “Well, I’ll be sure to come and talk to you about Juliet again after some fellow has broken my heart. Or when I ever fall in love. But I agree with the fact that it’s the play that’s important. The way characters are displayed there – that is what we remember and no. The article was interesting, but still it wasn’t necessary. I enjoyed Shakespeare’s language-use anyway.”<br>
Dana nodded to the third year Ravenclaw with a grin: “I think I’ll go with Zi. As I don’t have a clue how to pronounce that long name you just said.”<br>Shifting a little to sit in a more comfortable position Dana leaned her head back and closed her eyes: “Shakespeare had a way with words I have to admit. He was good. I personally prefer Byron or Yeats to Shakespeare I have to admit. I know that they aren’t really comparable, but that’s just my personal preference.
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face."
Dana quoted her favorite verse from William Butler Yeats.