Just where I wish to be ((Zach))

[ariana]

Ariane strolled down the hallways of Hogwarts. For once – and the first time as a matter of fact – she was lost in the castle. She had ventured too far away from the paths she knew already and gotten lost. Not that it showed. Ariane sauntered down the hallway with slow grace with a small practically unnoticeable swing of her hips that made it look as if Ariane was gliding over the floor. Her long white skirt with silver threads subtly running through the cloth only deepened that effect. She was graceful. Her parents little angel in more ways than one. Ariane was the perfect role-model daughter for a pure-blooded wizard. She was graceful, elegant, rather bright and obeyed her parents. One day she would serve the Dark Lord just like her parents and stand near him on his day of glory. Ariane was absolutely sure of that little detail.

Not wanting to speak to any of the mudbloods stomping around Ariane turned into a small alcove with big windows and seated herself on the cushioned seat there. Almost automatically Ariane chose a seat where the sunrays would hit her hair at the exact correct angle and make them shine goldly. Shrugging the short white jacket off her shoulders, Ariane carefully folded it and placed it onto a seat next to her. She was only wearing a think Slytherin-green top but Ariane wasn’t really cold. Even though the Slytherin common room and the whole castle could get a bit chilly, the sun was warming this little alcove here.

Ariane wondered briefly about the fact of how she would be getting back to the common room later. But some professor or Slytherin was bound to pass this place soon enough, so she wasn’t overly worried. Smoothing her skirt to fall nicely Ariane opened the book on Potions she had along and started reading calmly.

[Seth Wright]

Zachary wandered absently down the corridors. He wasn't quite sure where he was headed, but that hardly mattered at the moment. He looked a bit messy--robes rumpled a bit from a tumble down the hill to the greenhouses, but altogether presentable. At least his hair was combed and his tie wasn't crooked. Zachary never paid too much attention to his appearance. At home, he had to look as neat and well-kept as possible int he clothes he was given, but at school....He had more freedom at school. Zachary walked lightly, his feet barely making a sound. He was usually rather quiet and very easy to look over. A little Hufflepuff boy ran by, robes clasped by his ears, his tie swinging wildly. Zach scowled. He might be a little messier than some of the other Slytherins, but he never looked as horribly unkempt as that. That was just sad, that was. But then, the boy was a Hufflepuff.

He didn't feel like stopping to talk to anybody, though as if there was anyone to talk to, anyway. The scowl deepened. Up ahead was a little alcove Mason had showed him the day before and Zach sped up. It would be the perfect spot to sit and think and not have to bother with the annoying mudbloods crowding up the hallways. People like that Hufflepuff boy. He snorted. There had been a time when Zachary thought you shouldn't judge people by appearance, as he had been judged that way all his life, but he knew better now. Before, Zach had been soft. He'd been vulnerable. Well, he was smarter now, wasn't he? Not to say Zachary had gone hard, for he hadn't done that. But he'd learned, as most Slytherins had some time or another, that not everything was as it should be. In fact, just about nothing was it should be. That's why it was life. Reality.

And speaking of reality.....Someone was in his alcove. Zach jolted from his thoughts. It was a Slytherin girl--a first year. Her name was Ariane-something-or-other. He didn't really care. She seemed a bit stand-offish, the model Slytherin, but that may have just been in Zachary's mind. She was pretty. He had to admit that. She had a natural sort of grace to her, and Zachary knew right away what sort of home she had come from. Definitely a pure-blood. She must be at least sixteen generations, he thought. He didn't say anything, but waited for her to notice him. Zach was naturally a bit shy, but he was rather good at hiding it. Still, he didn't fancy being the first person to speak here. Everything he could think of to say sounded stupid.

[ariana]

Ariane didn’t really pay much attention to the peple passing her. She wasn’t in any rush, besides her acquintances woudl say hello themselves. And someone worthy from Slytherin who Ariane was yet to be aquintanced with was to pass. So Ariane was content with reading. She would have to learn a few good hexes after all and perfect their use. Sometimes the mudbloods just didn’t see how low they were otherwise. When a figure stopped in the alcove she was sitting at without saying a word Ariane finally raised her eyes however. Looking at the boy Ariane faintly recognized him. She had asked her mother about the families of her fellow year-mates. Zachary Grey. Not the worse family, but her mother hadn’t been very praising either.

„Zachary. You don’t mind me calling you Zachary, do you?“ Ariane said her eyes coolly looking at the boy as she noticed the light tousling of his hair, but let it slip, „I don’t think we have been formally introduced yet. I’m Ariane. Ariane Phyllis Dianne.“ Ariane raised her hand in half greeting, half an invite for the boy to sit. They hadn’t really been introduced nor had they had any conversation before, but Ariane figured that they might as well exchange osme polite phrases to see what the other was worth. You had to know your peers after all. At the very least you could use your information to pressure your peers into doing something you wanted then. Closing her book half-way Ariane waited for the boy to react in some way.

((Terribly sorry for the late reply. Life has been hectic and well, I kind of have put main force onto my other charries. I promise I will reply quicker in the future.))

[Seth Wright]

((No problem))

Zachary shook his head. "I'd prefer if you called me Zachary, actually." He said politely, frowning ever so slightly. It was obvious from the very start that Ariane was one of those stuck-up, blood-purity obsessed, sort of people. He didn't mind all that much. Lucan was that sort of person, as was his mother, and Mason. But...you weren't exactly smiled upon by those sorts of people when you were had someone like Zachary's station. To pure-blood society, he would probably be little more than a half-blood. Illegitimate children were all seen as half-bloods, and he was no exception.

"May I be..er...may I inquire as to how you are--ahem--doing today?" So, his manners needed a little brushing up. Zachary flushed slightly. Ariane didn't seem the type to look kindly on poor manners. Good gods, how he hated socializing. It was like one of those hideous dinner parties his mother was always hosting. He would, much rather be sitting somewhere with a book, or perhaps Pandora Munio. She wasn't so bad. Zachary doubted she took that much stock in manners, not when she was with friends.

[ariana]

Ariane arched her eye-brows at the boy stumbling over his words. Hadn’t he learned any etiquette and acceptable social behavior at home? Or perhaps he was just incredibly tongue-tied. Sometimes silence could say much more. Silence and a facial expression could speak volumes. Ariane found herself wondering if this was the case with this boy.
Also noticing that Zachary didn’t sit Ariane made a mental note about it. Was it overly polite or wasn’t he just sure if he wanted to stick around for longer.
“I was reading,” Ariane gestured towards the book with one hand as she placed it on the seat next to her, “Looking around the castle before that. I will be spending 7 years here after all, so I might as well learn to know my way around here. Luckily I know a few places from before or my older friends here have shown me around a little.” Ariane avoided mentioning that she was in fact quite lost.

“Shame really, that Kris hasn’t been up to walking around with me,” Ariane said in half-voice more to herself. Ariane looked up to Kris, even though she didn’t understand his liking of animals. Animals were dirty and needed constant attention. Only owls had some practical use daily. But on the whole Ariane liked Kris. However with him being blinded Ariane couldn’t really ask him to walk with her and show her the hallways. At least her parents hadn’t said anything bad about Kris, even though he was attacked during the attack. Ariane herself had been given stern orders by her father to stay in the front of the train. She hadn’t questioned them, but they turned out to be extremely valuable in the end.

„It is a rather nice day. Not to crowded hallway either, so I am feeling rather good. And yourself? How are you finding our ’little slice of paradice’ here?“ Ariane spread her hand slightly, showing that by the slice of paradise she meant the whole school.

[Seth Wright]

Zachary raised his eyebrows and glanced around. A slice of paradise? He thought not, but whatever. After humiliating himself before, he wasn't about to say much else, but Ariane had asked a question, and it would be rude not to answer. "It's alright, I suppose. Away from everything else, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a slice of paradise." He frowned. Was Ariane always this stiff? Maybe it was just because they didn't know one another. Yes, Zachary thought, that must be it. He was usually fairly shy around strangers. "Kris Graas?" Damn, he hadn't meant to ask that out loud....Too late now.

He didn't really know Kris. Actually, Zachary didn't know many people at Hogwarts, period. He wasn't a very social person. The only exceptions were Ingrid Lewis and Pandora Munio. He was even friends with Pandora, which went beyond unusual for Zachary Grey. Ariane seemed to be worlds away from Pandora. He didn't know much about her. She was from a prominent pure-blood family, rather stand-offish in his mind, and extremely conscious of her looks, something Zachary had never been. Why should one be concerned about one's appearance when one was stuck in an attic all summer?

"Do you mind if I take a seat?" He asked coolly, putting on an air of haughty indifference. It wasn't exactly suiting for Zachary's persona, but he wanted to make a good impression on Ariane. At the moment, she didn't appear to be very impressed with him.

((sorry for the lack of posts. high school is taking up all my time at the moment. I'll write longer next time, as well...))

[ariana]

Ariane rose her eye-brows. Didn’t the boy recognize sarcasm when he heard it? Of course Ariane didn’t think Hogwarts was a slice of paradise. It was rather the exact opposite of paradise. However Zachary changed the topic so Ariane let the thing be. Kris… it really was a shame he had been hurt. He hadn’t exactly given Ariane a strait-forward answer why he had been in the way either. Merely stated that he was protecting his property. Her parents hadn’t been a better info source either this time. Merely said that Kris was still as worthy of being a friend as ever.
“Is there any other Kris in the castle? Yes, Kris Graas. He’s an old friend,” Ariane smiled coolly leaning back on her seat a little.

“Not at all. Please, sit,” Ariane said with a smirk at Zachary’s haughty tone. It obviously wasn’t very him-like, so why bother? Unless you were comfortable with the façade you put on for other people the façade didn’t work. Ariane had been told that countless times and she was rather good at hiding her emotions.
“I am not rushing anywhere, nor will my book’s text change if I read it later on. It would be a pleasure to at least get to know a little about a fellow first year in Slytherin.”

[Seth Wright]

Zachary nodded his thanks and sat somewhat stiffly. He still wasn't very used to hanging aroung girls, and they seemed to be the only people he'd been around lately. "Do you know what happened to him?" He asked, not really curious. Whatever had happened to Kris was his business, but it was something to talk about. He shifted a bit and moved his hands to his lap. Ariane was a bit haughty for his taste--a bit full of herself, but people were people. He'd seen worse. His own mother was worse than Ariane would probably ever be, but he said none of this out loud. Besides, it would be useful to chat with another Slytherin. Getting to know his house was important in Zachary's mind, and Ariane was a part of that house.

Still, he wished there were more boys. Boys were much easier to talk to than girls. Most of them were more accepting of their house mates, and not so concerned about their appearances as the girls were. Well, there were a few exceptions, but that was how things generally were. It was the same with the older students and the younger ones. The older students were a lot harder to get along with, or even talk to as Zachary had experienced it. Slytherins were different form the other houses in that aspect, among others. He waited patiently for Ariane's response, studying the alcove.