A Walk Outside the Castle ((Zara))

[Kody Leuchten G3]

Kody was taking a walk around the castle, trying to clear his mind of all the homework he had just finished. It had been quite a lot, with Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts (which he didn't particularly like, but knew it was necessary), and of course, the one he enjoyed (despite Snape's bad attitude), Potions. He had finished all of his stuff for the next few days, so he had most of the night to himself. The problem was, now that he had been in homework mode for so long, he was stuck in that mode, and his brain refused to stop working on it. This happened almost every time he would do homework, and that was, most of the time, how he ended up getting so much done at once. Many of his friends always wondered how he got stuff done so quickly, yet they never believed him that he got it done so easily. Certain classes took longer, mainly because he focused on them more, but it came easily a lot.

The reason for Kody's walk was to try and clear his mind, and it was working, to a point. He thought maybe it would be easier if he went outside the castle. Maybe he could practice some spells or some charms. He always loved doing those kind of things. He couldn't wait until he could learn to apparate. That was one thing he really wanted to learn, it looked like so much fun. As he made his way down to outside around the castle, he noticed a girl sitting at the very bottom of the steps. He wondered who she was, and why she was sitting there. He also wondered if he should even say anything. Maybe she was deep in thought, and didn't want to be bothered. Or maybe she was going through something, and needed a friend. He was always good at being a friend to people. It didn't matter what it was, he always tried to put the other person ahead of himself. He slowed his pace as he came down towards her, and wondered what he should do next. After a bit of contemplation, he decided to sit against the wall, opposite her. Kody took his wand out and started playing with it, waiting to see if she wanted to talk, or if she would introduce herself.

[Zara Phoenix]

((I am so, so sorry for the delay in replying; I've just been so busy. ))

Zara sat down on the steps of the castle with a sigh, propping her head into her hands as she stared out into the darkening landscape. The late afternoon sun still lit up the skies somewhat near the horizon, but due to Daylight Saving Time that was now in place, the days quickly shortened into night, bringing a blanket of black to settle around the castle. Zara’s Quidditch practising was affected inadvertently, as she would have to be forced to train earlier in the day, perhaps even at lunchtimes, and this was rather inconvenient, as her time outside of lessons and homework were slim enough already. The best times were usually late at night, when a few glimmering rays still lit up the Quidditch pitch and Zara could streak around the stadium for half an hour whenever she wanted. Not many other students sneaked out so late – and even less for such a reason. Though it seemed the other day, Zara had met someone who loved Quidditch just as much as her – perhaps even more so. Because, Zara thought to herself, if she really loved the sport that much, she’d pursue it as a profession. However, her dream really was to become a tip-top auror one day – it was a dream she had wanted to pursue since she had arrived at Hogwarts, amazed and in disbelief at her magical surroundings. It had been such a far cry from her past.

Zara still didn’t understand why her mother would shield her and Zara from such a wonderful thing. Magic. It was fascinating? Why wouldn’t anyone be fascinated by such a thing? It opened new doors and opportunities, and flying had only been one of them. Flying…it was something seen in muggle movies. Broomsticks and witches hadn’t existed in Zara’s world until that fateful day. Zara was regretful that Sapphire still bore a grudge somewhat against Quidditch, but she couldn’t stop herself from loving that exhilaration flying brought. It was something only other players would understand. Sapp understood and accepted Zara lived with Quidditch as a lifeline out of the stresses of daily life – and Zara accepted in return that her twin sister would never share this love. The Phoenix twins had never really shared much in personality or interests though, so it was not a big deal. Zara was the redhead, probably inherited from her father’s side, whilst Sapphire had gained the darker beauty of their Russian mother. Zara’s eyes were (as again, probably from her father’s heritage) a vivid blue, vibrant and lively, whilst Sapphire’s were dark and serious – like their mother’s.

Zara had always been the active, adventurous and lively one, sometimes mischievous during her youth, and to this day still took the odd risk when she felt like it. Zara was a free spirit, and so was Sapphire, in her own kind of way. Sapphire was generally more subdued and quiet in comparison to her Gryffindor twin, and much more studious and hardworking. Zara did her fair share, she was quite diligent; but Sapphire was made for working, hence her sorting into Ravenclaw. Zara felt the two of them fit in well; they had found their place at Hogwarts over the last few years. Or at least, Zara had. Suddenly, footsteps broke Zara from her reverie, and she turned around to see a familiar looking younger Gryffindor boy, staring at her. “Hello.” Zara eventually spoke after a short silence. “It’s getting late now… Winter’s coming, so it’s so dark already. I didn’t think I’d have company.” She smiled warmly at the boy to ensure he didn’t mistake her words for wanting him to leave. “I could do with company though.” Zara started again wistfully. “Stop myself from being too depressed from all this NEWT work. I don’t do depression.”