Goodbye Hogwarts ((open to anyone))

[ashleyxx]

Bright rays of summer sun leaked through the velvet curtains of Leo's dormitory window. She groaned a bit, tossing over a few times in her bed, before giving up her attempt to catch another hours worth of shut-eye, and hopped from beneath her blankets. Leo stretched her arms high into the air and arched her back, peering through window out onto the Hogwarts grounds. She could see groups of students milling around below, most likely saying goodbyes to their friends, or studying for exams. She sighed at the thought of exams. Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Herbology, yahde yahde yahda.... Were final exams really necessary? Couldn't the teachers just be kind and let them have the last week of school to relax?
"Highly doubtful," Leo muttered to herself, digging through her trunks for an outfit to wear that day. She settled on a black tank top and her favorite pair of distressed jeans. She glanced into the mirror and sighed. Her long dirty blonde hair was a mess of knots and tangles. After about 5 minutes of attempting to brush them out, Leo gave up and slipped on a lime green ski cap. Leo smiled into the mirror, admiring the hat. She had a very unique sense of style, and really didnt care what anyone else thought about her. Just for the fun of it, Leo added a few lime green and hot pink bangle bracelets to her arms, and slipped on her pink and black checkered converse. As Leo studied her reflection in the wardrobes mirror, her eyes caught upon the slightly tattered picture of her best friend Tommy that she had hung up months ago. Her stomach lurched as she remembered that she had decided to tell Tommy she was a witch this summer...would he still feel the same way about her once her secret was out?

Leo sighed, not wanting to think about that just yet. She grabbed messenger bag and her potions book, incase she got bored, and bounded out of her dorm and out of the Gryffindor common room. I need some fresh air. She thought, and made her way passed a group of chattering students huddled around the great front doors of the castle, and stepped outside. She breathed in the scent clean air and grass, as she settled herself beside the lake. Leo layed her head down upon her bag and stretched out in the grass, feeling rather bored, yet not to obliged to open that potions book she had brought along...

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden put the last of her personal items into her trunk, as she made sure she had everything packed ahead of time. She could still take out and use whatever she needed, but atleast it would all be in one place, instead of all over the dormitory like it usually was. Dresdens dorm mates were always complaining about how messy she was, but they never seemed too annoyed with it. She made sure she carefully hid candy in obvious places for them, as a thank you for not getting too mad at her organisational skills, or lack of.

Dresden had been awake and dressed for quite a while. She had even gone down to the Great Hall to eat breakfast. The thought of exams had everyone in a bit of a panic lately, but they seemed to have effected Dresden more than anyone. As nervous as she was about them, she still couldn't bring herself to study.

Dresden sighed at the thought of having to return home. It wasn't that she didn't want to go home, it was that she had made a few friends and was actually enjoying this year. Last year had been a different story.Maybe I can talk mum and dad into setting up the floo network in our house, so I can visit people. I'll have to send an owl and ask.

Dresden walked down into the common room and looked around to see if she knew anyone. She didn't, so she kept going.She winded through the halls of Hogwarts, looking for someone she knew enough to talk to.

When she still couldn't find anyone, Dresden went outside. She stood on the stairs for a few moments before deciding to go to the lake.

Walking along the side of the lake, she spotted someone up ahead. It looked like Leo, a girl she had met when she had been with Stryder and Maryn, but she couldn't be sure. As she got closer, she realised she was right; it was her."Hey Leo, how's it going?"

[ashleyxx]

((sorry this is sort of short, next one will be longer ))
Leo gave a wide grin as Dresden, a ravenclaw she had met a few days ago, came beside her. She shot up, greatful that someone had come along (and that she would not have to do any studying just yet). "Thing's are great." She answered with her usual sunshine smile, "Except for exams, ugh are they a killer or what? I haven't even begun to study yet." She sort of shrugged her shoulders after those last few words, as if almost trying to assure herself that it was no big deal. If only there were no exams. They were really cutting into her 'fun' time. Not the actual studying of course for she hadnt done any, but just all the worrying, it was really quite annoying always having it on the back of her mind. "I'll probably start on all of that, erm, later." She decided aloud and laughed. "So, how have you been?" She asked Dresden enthusiastically, and pulled out a piece of gum she'd left in her back pocket that Mary must have sent her a while ago, stuffing it into her mouth.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden laughed at Leo. "The word 'killer' doesn't even begin to describe the exams. I haven't studied at all either, and to be honest, I don't plan on it. I did fine last year without studying, so I hope my luck will be the same this year." Even though Dresden was in Ravenclaw, she didn't always get the best marks. She didn't do horrible, but she knew that if she really tried, she could do better.

"I've been ok. Same old. I'm waiting to hear from my mum actually. I sent her an owl asking if we could have our fireplace hooked up to the floo network so I can visit people this summer. Although I must admit, the idea of randomly showing up in someones fireplace is a little odd still."

Dresden sat down on the grass and picked up Leos potions book. "This would make for a good fire starter." Dresden grinned.

[ashleyxx]

"I bet you a million galleons that I wont study one bit either. Worlds biggest procrastinator, sitting right in front of you." Leo laughed. She didn’t really mind that she was a procrastinator however, if she wasn’t then she'd end up doing all of the stuff she didn’t want to...if that made any sense. She smiled cheerfully as she chomped away at her gum, listening to Dresden talk about getting her fire place hooked up to the floo network.

"That's a really good idea," said Leo longingly, "I wish I could do that. But I live with a muggle--she wouldn’t like it much, people bursting out of the fireplace and all." Mary had never really had a problem with Leo being a witch, but she did have one strict request. No magic in the house. That was no issue for Leo however. She'd get in more trouble than it was worth by the ministry if she did magic outside of hogwarts.

"Yes, it is a bit odd, somebody randomly appearing in your fire place. A bit invading too, you cant exactly knock or warn someone your coming. That's probably what Mary would say if I asked her to have ours hooked up to the network." That was sort of one of the things that irked Leo about Mary. She just didn’t understand how things were in the wizarding world. Like owl post. She constantly complained about all of the owls coming to the house. "I don't think my step mother's very fond of the way wizards do things as opposed to the way muggles do." Leo spoke her thoughts aloud. "I sometimes wish that she was a witch too." She also wished her mother was still around, but wishes didnt always come true..

Leo giggled as Dresden picked up her potions book and joked about it being a good fire starter, though Leo actually thought it was a good idea. "It's a shame, really. It'd be a better use of my time to burn it than actually read it, at least the first would be entertaining." She said with a laugh, standing up to grip a branch that protruded out from a large oak tree growing near by. She swung on it a few times, feeling filled with energy. Leo was always energetic, a little to the point of aggravation at times. "You know, I'm not so sure I want to go back home for the summer holidays this year." Leo confided in Dresdon. "There’s sort of been something I've been avoiding and I don’t want to have to do it."

[janetkerkman]

Leah was in her dormitory boring herself out. I should be out there. Leah looked out the window that she could see the grounds through. Leah jumped of her bed and walked down to the common room. She was the last one in there. She went into the corridor and still no body was there. She went up to the fat lady portrait. " Am I the only one here?" Leah asked her. "Yes my dear, now get out there and play before you have no time to." The fat lady said. Leah walked away and wondered who was out on the grounds. She skipped down the stairs and was in the Great Hall. She went through the doors that led to the grounds and ran all over the green grass. She saw two girls talking. She new one named Leo, but she didn't know if she knew her. And the other girl she had never knew. She went up to them and smiled a nervous smile. " Um.. Hi I'm Leah." She said flipping her black hair back behind her.

(( I hope you don't mind me joining. I can delete my post if you want.))

[Dresden Amnell R3]

"I live with muggles too," said Dresden."Well, 2 muggles and a squib. The magic gene skipped over my dad and hit me."

Dresden listened to Leo talk about her step-mum. Dresden was glad that her parents were ok with her being weird, let alone a witch. They were used to it though, after all, they had 13 years to get used to her.

Dresden grabbed hold of a different branch then the one Leo was swinging on, and pulled herself up. "Well you are a procrastinator you know! So what have you been avoiding?"

Dresden looked down to the ground to a girl who was introducing herself. "Hey, I'm Dresden. Grab a branch!"

[ashleyxx]

Leo smiled brightly as a girl with black hair approached them looking nervous, introducing herself as Leah. "And I'm Leo," She said, as Dresden told the girl her name. "We were just talking about my wonderful procrastination problem." She said, swinging herself back and forth on the branch. "And another one of my problems. Maybe you both could give me some advice," She hoped they'd be able to, Leo was a horrible decision maker. She never really thought out her actions she just did them, and so when she actually had the time to, she wasnt sure what to think. "Like I told Dresden, I've been avoiding something for the passed three years. And this summer I really think I should face it. You see, I dont have any parents so I live with my mums best friend, a muggle." Leo said mainly to Leah who hadnt heard this already like Dresden had. But now she turned to both of them. "Growing up I didnt have any friends, except one whose name is Tommy. And I kinda havent told him I'm a witch yet. We're really--we were really close but this whole thing, Hogwarts, is changing that. I think I should tell him but I'm afraid of what he'll think." Leo said with a sigh, and stopped swinging on the branch.

[janetkerkman]

"Well, Leo you can't keep it a secret any longer. Don't worry, if he was your mom's best friend, it's a pretty good chance he'll still take care of you." Leah said while climbing on a branch in between Leo and Dresden. "So, I have a problem too. I like this boy, and I know he likes me, and I want to be a couple. How do I tell him? Leah asked while looking at the two. Leah was acting like a monkey and just about slid of a tree. Leah hit her head on Leo's branch and shook it. "I'm sorry!" Leah said while giggling at herself. "I wonder how the grounds look from the top of an oak tree."Leah said with a mischievous grin. Leah climbed branch after branch until she was at the top. "Wow!!" Leah yelled to Leo and Dresden. "It looks so huge!!"

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden listened intently to both of the girls problems. She felt left out not having a problem of her own. Her mind began to come up with a crazy problem that needed to be fixed.

As she thought up a "problem", she tried to give her advice to both girls situations.

"Leo, you should tell him you've joined the mafia, and Leah, tell him you will turn him into stone if he doesn't go out with you." Dresden giggled, even though it wasn't that funny.

Leah climbed the tree, wanting to see the grounds from the top. Dresden looked up at her."Been there, done that. I spend alot of time in the trees outside of Hogwarts. Nice, isn't it?"

Dresden turned her head back to Leo, becoming semi-serious, because it was all that she could bring herself to be. "I don't do anything in the summer, if you'd like, I could come visit you, or vice versa, and I could help you with Tommy. You could always tell him I'm the witch, which wouldn't be lying, and see his reaction to that. If it goes awful, wait a bit to tell him, and if it goes good, him."

Dresden smiled at Leo. "You don't have to decide right away. You can just send me an owl or something, and by 'send an owl', I mean you are going to be sending me many, but just say the word and I'll show up in your fireplace!"

[ashleyxx]

((sorry for the looong time it took for me to get this back to you! Theres been a lot of stuff going on in the family and i havent had any time, but all thats over so I'll be able to reply to post waay quicker. If you havent already decided to give up on me! lol))

Leo watched Leah climb up the tree and smiled, remembering all the times she'd done that herself--and all the times she'd fallen flat on her back doing so. Once she'd even tried to climb the whomping willow in her first year on a dare. Leo was not one to resist a good dare and had, regrettably accepted. She'd only gotton within 10 feet of the stump before--WHAM. And that had cost her two weeks in the hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey. She shuddered, recalling how unbelievably boring that expeirience had been, before returning her attention to Dresden who was still beside her.

Leo felt a great surge of gratitude toward Dresden for her proposal to come and visit her during the holidays, and help her out with Tommy. She sighed with relief and grinned. "You have no idea how helpful that would be!" Leo was referring to Dresdens plan about first only telling Tommy that she was a witch and waiting for the reaction-good or bad. But she was also referring to having a visitor over the summer holidays. She didnt normally have many visitors back home, or at least not from people like her. Mary and Tommy and everyone else she knew were great company, but after a while it did become rather difficult to talk to them about spells, Hogwarts, houselves, and such. It would be nice to have a fellow witch around her to talk about all of those things with--of course, not that house elves would prove to be a very entertaining topic. "I'll definately send you an owl, count on it." Leo said with a grin, and resumed swinging herself back and forth on the branch like an oversized monkey. "But your sure you dont have anything else to do?" Leo asked, not wanting to be a bother. "I dont want to intrude or make you feel like you have to do something." She waited for a response while trying to heave herself up onto the branch, only to succeed in falling on her behind with a painful thud. She laughed loudly at herself, for things were always ten times funnier, or at least to Leo, when they happened to her, and didnt bother to pick herself up again.

[Dresden Amnell R3]

Dresden let go of the branch and dropped to the ground. Her hands were starting to hurt a little from the bark on the branch. She wiped her hands on her shirt before reaching up for the branch again, and jumping up to wrap her legs around it. She watched as Leo fell, laughing. Dresden let her hands leave the branch, so she was completely upside down. "Well, now that I think of it....I might be able to squeeze you into my schedule somewhere between carpet riding in Egypt and dragon taming in Mexico. Or perhaps just after I get back from threstral hunting in Zimbabwe....whichever you prefer."