Simple Distractions ((Nika & Ariane))

[Kia Brightstar]

It just wasn’t fair. No matter how much she had grown up in the last year, Kia couldn’t help but to sulk. Why did she have to fall in love – no, no. It was not love. Just couldn’t be. She was still a child and therefore love was out of the question. It was just a case of mixed emotions. She’d already been over and over this in her own mind. She had too many responsibilities to be in love. She lo- adored Cia but under no circumstances would she let herself love him. His position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team was best for them both, Kia decided. It would help his confidence and then he would find love.

And that was that. Kia, forcing energy into her tired body, jumped up from her seat in front of the fire and hid a giggle when she almost knocked over a group of first years sitting close by. She was probably one of the only people in the older years that had left it so late to join the crowd in Hogsmeade. Ah well. She could slip down now and grab an ice-cream, right? No more brooding over Cia. Ice-cream was good, ice-cream was great. It would get her mind of him and the sugar-rush would only be good for her.

Chocolate ice-cream. Kia grinned contentedly, savouring her first taste of ice-cream in what had to be a week at least. Perhaps not long for most people to go without ice-cream but Kia had a very demanding sweet-tooth and this was the first time in years it had gone unsatisfied. It was a good job her metabolism worked in her favour really, Kia mused. Otherwise she’d have to do a lot more exercise than she did now. Either that or stop eating so many sweets.

[Ariane Chan]

((Permission to god-mode Harmony granted.))

“You sure you’re going to be okay then?” Ariane demanded of Harmony with an anxious frown as they stopped outside the Three Broomsticks, cloaks billowing behind them in the light, warm breeze. “You remember when and where to get back, right?” This was Harmony’s first trip to Hogsmeade, much to the third year’s excitement, but that only ignited Ariane’s worry that her sister would be careless in her enthusiasm. Harmony had a reputation for messing everything up in states of nerves and fervour.

Harmony looked like she was resisting a roll of her dark eyes. “Yeah, Ari, I know. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” She grinned reassuringly, before cheerfully entering the crowded bar without a backward glance. “I’ll see you later!”

“Bye.” Ari murmured more to herself than anything. Staring after Harmony’s fading back, she resigned herself to a lonely fate in Hogsmeade. Not that she really minded. She had insisted that Harmony spend the trip with her friends, and it wasn’t as if Ariane was unused to being alone. Normally she would be with Aurora, but Ariane had left her with Tyler, one of Aurora’s buddies, to have a couple of words with Harmony, so she didn’t know where the duo were. Well, Ariane had a good idea, knowing Aurora’s personality well, but had no intention of joining them. Ariane knew that Tyler, or Ty as he was better known, same year and house as her, was usually a nice, friendly guy, but she didn’t feel comfortable around anyone apart from Aurora and Harmony. Three was a crowd, and because Ariane never talked in Tyler’s presence, it put pressure on Aurora to make her friends get on. Ariane knew well that Tyler always tried so hard to be polite and charming, and Aurora was frequently embarrassed and torn at the tense situation; the problem lay with herself, and Ariane was very aware of it, hence why she simply avoided spending time with them both together. There was something, actually, about Tyler, that she liked to stay away from, and she had it in mind to tell Aurora about her feelings. Ariane was rarely wrong. Shaking her head to herself, Ariane decided to wander the bustling village aimlessly by herself with hands stuffed into robe pockets, her eyes skimming over shops and passer bys with little interest. She had never been keen on the Hogsmeade trips, preferring to remain at Hogwarts and spend some quality solitary time rather than mingle in the excitement and fun of it all, but Aurora would never hear of it, and what Aurora wanted of Ariane, she usually got it.

Ariane had been touring Hogsmeade’s familiar alleyways and streets, filled with noisy Hogwarts students carrying god-knows-what in their laden arms, for about half an hour, resisting to take off her cloak in the strain of the bright sunlight. ”I really hate summer.” Ariane thought to herself with an inward groan, glimpsing the burning sun in the distance overhead with narrowed eyes. She disliked the heat because it meant three horrible things: Sweat. Flimsy, revealing clothes. And of course… no rain. Ariane felt like a flower during the summer days, wilting without precious water beneath the strangling sunlight. Suddenly her eyes were drawn to a familiar face down the road, due to her blonde hair glinting in reflection of the light. Ariane recognised the figure as a girl in the year below her, also in Gryffindor. She was often with a red haired girl, and a boy in Ariane’s own year… Ciaren Douglass. Yes, that was it. They were all fellow Gryffs. What was her name again? Ariane racked her brain for a moment or so, until she hit upon the answer she had been searching for. “Kiana… Kiara… or something. And her friend’s called Maryn.” Ariane had always been observant of her surroundings and people; her silent personality allowed her to become invisible and scrutinise the going ons around.

Ariane watched as Kiana bought a chocolate ice cream from a shop and sat down happily to savour it. Suddenly, watching the younger girl devour the icy cold, sugary ice cream really made Ariane want one also. She didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but when it came to chocolate ice cream, she couldn’t help herself. Aurora shared her addiction for the stuff, but Harmony had always liked vanilla ice cream more. How long had it been since Ariane had tasted chocolate ice cream? Too long. Not bothering with summoning self-control, she automatically walked up to the store and ordered a chocolate ice cream for herself, watching the vender place it before her with much anticipation. ”I suppose the sun is good for one thing…” Ariane’s lips twitched in amusement after one lick of the freezing substance. ”It does make ice cream taste so much better.” Gazing around, Ariane noted that there was only one spare seat on the various benches, and that was the one next to Kiana, who was still obliviously eating her own ice cream. Not really caring about who her company would be, Ariane approached the younger girl politely, “Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?” She gestured at the free space with her free hand. Ariane knew she wouldn’t be occupying the seat for long anyway. She’d be on her way soon enough after she finished her ice cream.

((I'm so sorry for the delay in replying! I hope you don't mind that I put Kia was sitting down. I didn't really know what else to do.))

[Kia Brightstar]

Ice cream was good, Kia decided, licking her ice cream with satisfaction. The hot sun was shining on her hair, spreading warmth along her bare arms and making her glad that she didn't have dark hair. Heh. Kia grinned easily, tilting her head back and closing her eyes slowly. Kaelyn had often complained about her dark hair, confiding in her older sister that she sometimes wished she had inherited their mothers blonde hair like Kia had. Giggling to herself, Kia made a mental note to drop by the shops before she made her way back to Hogwarts to pick up a cap for her sister. Two years and Kae might be joining her at Hogwarts. Now, if there was ever a satisfying thought then that was it. She'd only have a year with her sister though, right? Or was it two? Kia paused then shrugged. What did it matter? Kae knew how to look after herself and didn't need Kia hovering over her, making sure she was okay. That was possibly the only useful thing she had taught her sister, and only because she knew how lost she had been when her mother had died. Kia hadn't been able to cope by herself but she had made sure that Kae would be able to, while also trying to make sure that her sister knew she was there for her.

"Hmm?" Kia looked up at the sound of a voice, blinking when she struggled to place the girls name. Odd. Usually she was good with names; the one advantage her social personality had given her. She had seen this girl before, but never talked to her. Interesting. And here Kia had thought she was running out of new people - except the Slytherins, because they never wanted anything to do with her - to talk to. "No, no one's sitting there. I'm Kia, by the way," Kia offered her hand, the hand that didn't have a drop of chocolate ice cream trickling down it. Merlin, that was annoying. Kia's eyes narrowed slightly, using the napkin that had come with her ice cream to wipe it away. What a waste of that bit of ice cream, Kia gazed at it for a mournful second before grinning at Ariane, her cheerful smile returning. "You're in the year above me, right? Fifth?" She inquired curiously, finally placing the girls year.

((It's short, but I finally got to it. Blame the exams. I know I do. ))

[Ariane Chan]

So she was called Kia. What that stood for, she didn’t know. Ariane stared at Kia’s outstretched hand for a moment blankly, blinking once, then twice. This girl was certainly forward. Not shy at all. Finally, the slightest smile of thanks gracing her face, Ariane reached for the waiting hand. “Ariane. Nice to meet you.” She shook it quickly, before withdrawing her hand and taking the seat beside Kia. She didn’t want to seem too impolite. “Thanks.” She muttered, before turning upon her expectant ice cream. Thoughtfully, Ariane contemplated the reason why she was sitting in the glowing sun, eating chocolate ice cream. The sight and prospect would’ve made both Aurora and Harmony laugh with surprise. Noticing that the substance was quickly melting under the warm heat, Ariane rapidly licked it to prevent a disaster on her clothes – god, that would be embarrassing – and proceeded to smile to herself secretly. It tasted just like she’d imagined. Perfect. It’d been such a long time since she had eaten good chocolate ice cream…

Ariane’s thoughts were knocked out of her mind when she heard an inquiring voice beside her. Turning, she realised Kia was addressing her. Ariane refrained from rolling her eyes, knowing she’d have to make conversation. She just had to pick to sit beside such a happy, go-lucky, friendly girl, didn’t she? Hesitantly, Ariane answered Kia’s question, taking another small lick of her ice cream and savouring the taste on her tongue. “Yeah.” The ice cream wouldn’t last long. In fact, Ariane was sure it’d all be gone before she knew it, and she’d forget the taste and how wonderful it was until next time. So she’d better make the most of it now, right? Staring at the brownness of the chocolate ice cream, Ariane refrained a small sigh. Like ice cream, other things didn’t last long either. Staring up at the sky, she hoped the sunlight wouldn’t last too, but knew how wishful that was. On the contrary, the summer always seemed never ending.

((Lol, no problem. I'm sorry mine's short too - I can't think of anything else to write!)

[Kia Brightstar]

Kia grinned welcomingly, an amused shine lighting her eyes when Ariane seemed almost surprised at her forwardness. She didn't see the point in being shy and timid. Watching the world go by was fine, but sitting and watching the world go by just because you were too shy to stop someone and talk to them? That was no fun, no fun at all! She was no stranger to having odd looks sent her way and had, at one time, revelled in it, in being the cause of a shocked or surprised look on someones face. She had been such a show-off and had treated her gymnastics as a game and a tool with which to show off to a better standard. There hadn't been any specific point at which that had changed - not that Kia had connected to the change anyway - but it had happened anyway. It had been a shock to her system, that sudden rush of maturity, but she had still felt enjoyment at the bemused look on her cousins face when he had recognised the changes in her. Shocking Adam was fun; too much fun for any amount of maturity to stop her doing it.

"I'm a fourth year," Kia informed her cheerfully, licking at her ice-cream quickly to prevent any drops falling onto her jeans or t-shirt. It wouldn't be pleasant to walk through Hogsmeade with stained clothing and she couldn't just go back to the castle, not when she still had to pick up that cap for Kaelyn. Well, Kia reconsidered, feeling uncharacteristically lazy as the hot summer sun shone down on her unwaveringly, she didn't have to but it would be a nice gesture and she had to send an owl anyway, wishing her sister good luck in that dance competition or show or whatever it was. Kia frowned slightly, reminding herself to find out whether it was a show or competition before she owled her sister. The last thing she needed was to upset Kae because she didn't know exact details. Kia shot a glance at Ariane curiously. It almost seemed that the older girl didn't want company but if that was so then surely she would have sat somewhere else. Right? Kia paused, deciding that she had come to the right conclusion, before speaking once more. "Did you come to Hogsmeade for anything specific or just because it's a nice day?"

[Ariane Chan]

Ariane absorbed the information about Kia’s age silently. So her estimate had been right too. It was unsurprising, really. Focusing all he attention on her melting ice cream, Ariane continued to eat it mutely, just enjoying the taste of it, rather than the sun hitting her back. Due to the darkness of her hair, her head was absorbing a good deal of the heat, and it was beginning to irritate her. Ariane knew she should’ve brought some sort of protection… like a cap. But had always hated wearing hats. They made her look ridiculous. It was ironic really that she was donned in a thick robe wrapped around her warm body. At least it prevented her from getting too tanned. Ariane had always been a pale oriental girl, and liked it that way. Though her fellow Chinese girls may have gotten the wrong impression. It was in fashion for them to stay as pale as possible, to become almost as white as Caucasian people – which was ridiculous in itself, because face it – how were they ever going to be as white as them? They were oriental, after all. They were meant to have yellow skin, and Ariane was proud of that fact. She just didn’t want to become too tanned and turn… brown. The thought was amusing in itself. Becoming burnt toast. Ariane may prefer to keep herself pale, but it wasn’t to keep up with fashion trends and to fit in with everyone else; she wasn’t one to care what others thought about her.

A voice knocked Ariane out of her thoughts, only to realise it was Kia that was talking to her again. Resigning herself to a fate of conversation with the younger girl, Ariane obliged with a quiet answer. “Quite honestly, I don’t like nice days. I prefer the rain. But I didn’t come here for a specific reason either. My friend usually drags me here and I can’t say no to her.” Ariane gave a small shrug, as if her situation was helpless, unfightable one. Her eyes wandered to Kia’s smiling face, and with a sigh, decided to lighten the atmosphere just a little. Although she didn’t like talking to strangers and making new acquaintances, she couldn’t avoid it forever, and Ariane didn’t like tense moods too much. Anyway, she didn’t expect she and Kia would ever talk to each other again after today. A little conversation flow, however minute and short, would be okay. “And you?” Ariane asked, taking another lick of the chocolate ice cream. Almost at the cone.

[Kia Brightstar]

People were odd, Kia mused thoughtfully as she watched the people hurry past with their friends or family and some by themselves. There were so many different types of people in the world. There were people like her, who lived to socialise, and there were people like her little sister, who thrived on praise and affection. There were pranksters and studious people. And then there were the people who seemed like they really didn't want any company at all but even then, there were two types of those people; there were the ones who were simply too shy to reach out to someone and make firends, and then there were those who really just wanted to be left alone. But which category did Ariane fit into? Kia pondered the subject absent-mindedly, always needing something to fill her mind and distract her enough that she didn't feel bored enough to just jump up and leave, no matter what she was doing at the time. She didn't seem to want company, that much was true, Kia admitted. Nothing much could be read in to Arianes request to sit next to her, as there were no seats left anywhere else. And she hadn't come with anyone; not that Kia could see anyway. Not that it mattered, Kia thought stubbornly, pushing down her natural instinct to move away at the thought of bothering someone. She had been here first so it wasn't her problem.

Ooh, she was talking. Kia looked up, her blue eyes slightly startled. Maybe she had been wrong? "Rain is nice, but I find the sun better. Sitting on the windowsill during a thunderstorm is the best way to enjoy the weather though, in my opinion. It's one of the few traditions that's survived through more than fifty years in my family on my fathers side, and forty years on my mothers side. I think my sister is the first one to actually be scared of storms in over at least eleven generations. I don't really see how that could happen though," Kia admitted, looking at Ariane like she had all the answers, as she bit into the cone of her ice-cream, dismally noting that her treat had been almost completely devoured. "If all of our family - the ones that she's been in contact with anyway - enjoy thunderstorms so much, some of them to extent of actually sitting outside during storms, then how can she be so afraid of them?"

[Ariane Chan]

Ariane listened to Kia’s reply silently, occasionally taking a slow lick of her half finished ice cream. She wasn’t surprised that this girl preferred the sun to the rain, especially judging from her bubbly, bright and talkative personality. She was a lot like Aurora. These people in particular preferred the beautiful sunshine to the dreary raindrops that threatened the enjoyment of being outside. For Ariane, it merely enhanced her desire to get out there. Therefore she was somewhat surprised when Kia stated the best weather was a thunderstorm. That certainly came as a revelation as Ariane bit hesitantly into the cone for the first time. Her eyes flickered back over to Kia in wonderment as she continued to explain her love of thunderstorms, and thought to herself how odd this girl was. A thunderstorm would’ve been the last type of weather Ariane would have paired Kia up with. She was more like her cousin Aurora than she had thought originally. Aurora, although loved the sunshine probably more so than the rain, appreciate all types of weather. She said each different type made her feel different, evoked within her something. Most of the time, Aurora enjoyed the sunshine to reflect her happiness, but there were times she needed the rain to represent the pain and sadness she buried inside.

Ariane couldn’t help but raise a slender eyebrow as Kia continued to ramble on about her family; she found it rather strange how such a trait ran in the family, and it had certainly been passed on for a long time according to Kia. “I like thunderstorms too.” Ariane admitted once Kia had finished her long conversation, taking her second bite of the cone and feeling the leftover dribbles of chocolate run into her mouth. “I like being out there too. It doesn’t run in my family though. My sister hates the rain and such. She prefers the sunshine.” Ariane turned to Kia with an odd expression in her eyes, not really sure how to explain to this girl about why her sister was the way she was. It was like Kia expected an answer from her. “Your sister… is an exception.” Ariane finally said after some thought, gazing down blankly at her almost devoured ice cream. “Like me. No one from my family enjoys the rain as much as I do. They’re the opposite of your family. But I am an exception to that rule. I broke that cycle.” Ariane resisted a chuckle at that statement. “Exceptions happen. They’re meant to. They break the rules, and they’re different. There’s nothing wrong with that. They just happened not to inherit the same gene. You could say that these exceptions are special. That doesn’t mean…” Ariane looked up at the sky with the smallest hint of a serene smile on her face. “that they’re not loved. Right?”

[Kia Brightstar]

"My family is rather weird, I suppose, in the way some traditions just carry on endlessly. The more serious people in the family treat it like an inherited gene - like eye colour - and tend to scorn people like my sister because they don't follow a certain tradition, even if they fit in perfectly otherwise. Which, to be quite honest, makes me wonder if ending the tradition would be in the best interests of my family. I refuse," Kia started, her sweet smile completely offset by the fierce tone colouring her voice, "to have my little sister be made to feel like less than she really is just because of a fear that she can't fight against because of the strong hold it has on her. One day, she'll get over it by herself, because she's strong enough to do so. That's why I won't offer my help. I won't waste it on something that she can do by herself, especially when it'll make her stronger. That, I think, you'll understand since you have a sister of your own, right?" Kia grinned lightly, pushing a rebellious strand of hair out of her face before biting into the cone of her ice-cream for the second time.

Kia inhaled thoughtfully even as a slightly foolish grin flickered across her face. She had been talking far too much - and about her family, which was a topic that she usually refused to touch on unless the person was a close friend, or Adam - but she couldnt stop the warm glow that always lit up her eyes when she thought that perhaps a new friend, or even just an acquaintance, was in the making. It was one of the many things her cousin had teased her about endlessly but Kia was, by nature, a sociable person who was thrilled at the thought of another friend to talk to and laugh with. "That's true, Kae is an exception." Kia agreed contentedly, happy with the explanation she hadn't expected even if a part of her had needed it. "My cousin used to tease her by wondering if she was adopted, even though he knew very well that she wasn't, because Kae seems to have inherited all the genes that have mostly died out in my fathers side of the family like darker hair and eyes. She's inherited mostly everything from my mothers side of the family, but its hard to prove that when she's never met them." Kia laughed, hiding the exasperation that still existed even though it had been years ago. Adam had thought of it as a joke, but they both knew that Kae sometimes felt insecure about her looks, and that was enough to make her want to strangle Adam.

[Ariane Chan]

Ariane blinked in surprise at Kia’s suddenly fierce, headstrong tone, and suddenly realised why this girl was probably also a Gryffindor. It was true every house had its specific traits, that was how you were sorted into them in the first place, and Gryffindor’s main qualities was that determination. Orginally Kia had reminded her of a typical Hufflepuff, like Aurora and Harmony; sweet, bright, extremely friendly and talkative. But it turned out that there was more to Kia than what she appeared to be, and Ariane smiled to herself inwardly. She knew better than to judge somebody by their appearance and initial impressions, because she was one of those people you had to dig deeper to understand the real person within. Ariane found herself nodding along to Kia’s words, not agreeing out loud, but it was plain to see on her usually emotionless face. Gazing down at her ice cream, or what was left of it, Ariane took one more bite closer to the end of the cone. She admired Kia’s dedication to her sister, and answered to her question concerning siblings. “Yes. I suppose I do understand. I would do something similar if Harmony was like that.” Ariane shrugged lightly.

Ariane noted how similar Kia’s name was to her sister’s. Kae. Kia. She mused on it for a moment, thinking that their parents’ choices were quite sweet in itself, then wondered what on earth had motivated her parents to call her Ariane. She knew well why Harmony was called Harmony… It was her father’s doing, and that actually disturbed Ariane if only a little; but Ariane’s name… Had it been her mother or father’s choice? Or maybe not their choice at all. And why Ariane? Somehow she found herself curious, but even if she did find out, what did that accomplish? Ariane supposed it didn’t help her in any way… She clicked back to Kia’s conversation though once she started talking again, and absorbed her words silently. Ariane thought back to her own family as usual, knowing it was stupid wondering who she had inherited her eye and hair colour, because both her parents had black hair and brown eyes, it was the typical trait of an oriental person. Plus the yellow tanned skin. But Ariane also knew what personality traits she had inherited, and she wasn’t sure she was pleased what she had gained. “Harmony takes after our mother in personality. She doesn’t have all our mother’s traits, but she has most of them. I inherited the strong will.” Ariane gave a roll of her eyes as she explained her own family, though not in too much detail… “Appearance wise, it’s obvious. We all have the same eyes and hair. I know I’m a cross between my parents’ faces, but Harmony… Harmony looks more like our cousin than anything. She looks nothing like any of us; probably inherited it through our father’s side though.” Ariane admitted wistfully, before finishing her ice cream in a clean bite. Finally.

Standing up to leave, Ariane brushed her lap down, before turning to Kia with a slight smile on her lips, and the taste of chocolate lingering memorably in her mouth. “It was nice talking to you, Kia. Perhaps I’ll see you round school.” Ariane licked her lips delicately, before turning away and walking from the younger girl, pleased to have finally gotten away from more conversation, but at the same time feeling contented at the short flow of conversation that they had shared. Wondering if Aurora knew Kia (she probably did, judging from personality), Ariane stuffed her hands into her robes despite the heat, a hint of a smile lasting on her face. Now off to find her friends.

((Hope you don’t mind me ending it here. You may have the last post, if you wish.))

[Kia Brightstar]

((Ending it there is fine with me, and I don't believe I'll bother with claiming the end post because you did a wonderful job of ending it yourself. *gives cookie* Thanks for a post that I really enjoyed.))