Blackpool tower, here we come! ((Aurora))

[Celia Richmond]

((Right, post's up! post from last year that never got replied to, but I've edited it loads, so it's not the same really. And I guess it is pretty immature lol, but whatever! Anyway, be grateful it's up at least!))

It was the first week of August, and therefore it was the week when Celia was going away with her mum and sister. Last year, they had stayed in a caravan in Scarborough, on the East coast of England, but this year they decided to go further south and further away from home than the relatively close town of Scarborough. This year they were going to the well-know Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool! Yes-for a whole week they were going to be visiting the attractions of the North-West coast of England, and other places slightly inland, and to be honest Celia couldn't wait. The only down side she could find was that she'd have to share a particularly cramped room, in a relatively small static caravan, with her sister. Even most of her friends had picked this week to be away as well-it couldn't be better, really!

Celia really needed a break this year. She'd been just as excited the previous year about going to Scarborough, but that year had been far less stressful. THis year had been one of the worst she'd ever had, and she really did need a break. Firstly there was the obvious stress of having her OWL exams in June, which she was put under a lot of pressure for. And then there was the issue of her father returning to try and claim custody over Amy, resulting in her mother being seriously hurt, and having to go to St Mungos for a couple of weeks. Then there was the whole saga with Kyra, which Celia couldn't get off her midn at the time. But she was glad that that had ended well, with her managing to form a new life in Australia.

Arriving at the caravan park, it was impossible to miss the huge tower along the skyline. She made a mental note that one day this week she would climb it. She was also fairly close to the pleasure beach, with the massive roller coaster and "The Big One". She would go there one day too. And then the illuminations were being opened the week they were there too, by an apparently very famous muggle actor. Those would be fun to see too. And really, they weren't that far from Liverpool, or Manchester, so they might spend a day or two in one of those cities.

The next day, Celia was allowed to wander around the town by herself-she was told to just 'make for the tower' if she got lost at all. She went on the beach, and was going to sit and read, watching the waves and the kids that were brave enough to go into the freezing water. But after a while, she noticed a girl that looked familiar to her. Infact, she was actually heading her way-not surprising since she was sitting near the cafe place. So she got up and started walking towards the girl, to see if she was someone she knew. Even if she wasn't, it was a potentially new friend.

"Hey!" Celia called, as she got closer to the girl, and started running towards her. At this point, she was sure it was a girl she knew-a fellow 5th-year from Hogwarts! "I'm Celia...do I know you? From Hogwarts...you look...familiar! You're in Hufflepuff, right? I think I have Potions with you...

((Yeah, I've made it Blackpool rather than Southend, as Blackpool's much closer to Manchester, hence Aurora's more likely to be there...))

[Aurora Chan]

((Thanks a lot! That makes my life much easier, hehe.))

Aurora skipped cheerfully down the pier by the sea with an infectious grin on her face, her hair flying wildly in the strong winds as she hummed one of her band’s songs under her breath, lost to the sounds of the tide. She didn’t often come to Blackpool, but it was nice to visit now and again; Aurora wasn’t fond of the fun that was on offer, which usually attracted so many tourists, but she enjoyed more the scenery nonetheless, despite hating the outdoors. “I didn't hear you leave?I wonder how am I still here. And I don't want to move a thing?It might change my memory." Running up to the stormy waves that rolled onto the beach with a delighted beam, Aurora resisted a shriek as cold water passed over her open toes, lapping against her slim ankles, and she leaned forward, dangling fingers against the liquid of nature, too strong to control. She giggled to herself, the sensations of the waves tickling her hands, and weaved her fingers through the sea, wrapping around invisible objects. It felt relaxing, that running feeling against her skin, and Aurora savoured it with a secret smile.

The day wasn’t exactly fair; the sky was a little overcast, clouds marring the blueness of the sky overhead, but the air was warm enough, and rain had refused to drench them yet. Aurora guessed it was holding with for now, until September, when the summer had passed and everyone was back at school. She was glad it wasn’t raining or extremely cold, because she was only wearing a thin white summer dress, coupled with a jacket flung on top. Her mum always made her wear something else just in case, and Aurora was grateful for it. She wondered what the others were doing right now. She’d insisted on a lonely walk to the beach by herself, and had said she would meet up with the others later, possibly at the amusement park. But then again, Aurora hated places like that, because she was dreadfully fearful of roller coasters. That falling sensation didn’t suit her at all, hence why sometimes, on a broom she could become scared and clumsy, unlike Ari, Leo and Harmony. Her little cousin was even in the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, much to Aurora’s contentment. ”Oh I am what I am, I do what I want, but I can't hide.”

Aurora turned to leave the withdrawing tide, sorry to see it go for now, but continued along her way across the borderline where the sea swam inland, her sandaled feet slipping over pebbly rocks and shells gathered and pushed into the sand. Her breath murmured in the air as she sang softly to herself, bending down and retrieving a rounded, silver grey stone, eroded smoothly by the constant motion of the sea. ”And I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe until you're resting here with me. And I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be until you're resting here with me.” Smiling down at it, Aurora turned the pebble over in her hand several times, before looking out over the horizon, where the sea seemed to disappear off, and grinning, flung the stone as far as she could, watching it skim expertly over the wave surface, then sink gradually from view. Staring outwards silently for a moment, suddenly forgetting her song, Aurora admired the beautiful view for a while, before turning and making her way back from where she had come, deciding she needed a drink and heading for the caf?nearby. It was then someone familiar approached and began to speaking excitedly, causing Aurora to look up from observing her wet, dirtied feet.

“If it isn’t you, Celia!?She exclaimed in return, rather surprised at finding a fellow acquaintance here in Blackpool. Perhaps she too was on holiday. Celia Richmond was a fellow fifth year, going into sixth year, a Ravenclaw who Aurora didn’t know much about, but was acquainted with. “Have you forgotten my name already??Aurora giggled in amusement, flinging her playful hair back. “I’m Aurora Chan. Yeah, I’m in Hufflepuff. What a coincidence! I think I do have Potions with you?But that’s the last thing I’m thinking about during the summer.?Aurora grimaced, joking. “Plus I won’t be doing Potions next year, so I suppose I won’t be seeing you then anymore. I can’t say I’m too sorry.?Aurora continued, pleased about the fact that there would be no more Professor Snape. “How are you then, Celia? What are you doing here anyway? On holiday too??Aurora finally asked in curiosity at her fellow classmate.

[Celia Richmond]

Celia appeared to have startled Aurora, who seemed to be in a world of her own, staring down at her feet. Celia looked to see if there was anything interesting there that could have possibly caught Aurora's attention, but other than a load of wet sand, there was nothing there. Ah well, Celia looked up again, to Aurora's beaming face. She always seemed to be very friendly and happy, whenever she saw her round school, but surprisingly she'd barely ever talked to her. Well, she couldn't remember talking to her much anyway...ah well, now was her chance, Celia thought. She was pleased to meet someone she knew other than her family while on holiday...someone to talk to.

Yeah, that's me!" Celia excaimed as Aurora seemed surprise to see her. "Of COURSE, Aurora, how could I forget! How stupid of me...call myself a Ravenclaw, hah! Sometimes I really wonder why I was put in Ravenclaw and not one of the other houses. Though it did seem to be quite close between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. You have a cousin in Gryffindor, right? I think I have some lessons with her too...but hey," Celia tried to think of the other girls name....begins with A, she thought...she wasn't very social, unlike her cousin in Hufflepuff. Ar-something, she thought now...she'd heard people calling her Ari, now she thought more. Hmm, that wasn't really relevant now, and Aurora was probably wondering why she wasn't saying anything.

"Yeah, I see your point. It's the holidays, no need to talk about school here! I probably won't be doing potions either...I mean, Snape only admits O-grade students, and there's no way I'm gonna get an O in potions, even if I do in other subjects! And I can't say I'll miss it much either." Celia didn't really like potions much. She hated Snape's attitude that "you're in Ravenclaw, you have to get straight Os", as a) he was wrong...she thought that an E, or even an A in some cases was perfectly acceptable unlike some of her house mates, and b) she wasn't going to get an O, so he picked on her more than the rest. She could do the theory well, but the practicals were sometimes a bit iffy. But most of all she resented Snape for his horrible comments and anti-LessThanO-grade attitude.

"I'm alright thanks..how about yourself" Celia asked. Though she presumed that Aurora was good, judging by the grin on her face. "Yeah, I'm here on Holiday...I guess you are too? I'm here for the week with my mum and sister...they've gone off somewhere...probably just to explore the area. For some reason they expect me to find my own way round, which is fine by me I guess. Though I've never been here before. I went to Scarborough last year and Barmouth the year before that. It's kinda a tradition for us to go to some seaside resort every year now, for a week. What about you, do you get away much?" Celia hadn't been abroad for a few years. It was 7 years, almost exactly, since her father had left, and they went abroad the first few years, going to France, Italy, Spain and Portugal after years 5, 6 and her first 2 years at Hogwarts. Then they simply didn't have the money to go abroad again. As a child, she'd been to various places in America and Eastern Europe...Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, but she doubted she'd go that far again.

"So, are you going to the café then? I don't blame you, it is quite hot around here. I could do with a drink myself. Or an ice-cream or something. Shall we go?" She asked Aurora. She remembered she still had her book in her hand, and hence closed it, and stuffed it in her backpack, which she had on her bag, retrieving her purse while she was there. Luckily she still had her flip-flops on, so her feat weren't that sandy, and they wouldn't hurt as she walked along the concrete walkway above the beach. She made her way over to the steps, climbed up them and walked over to the queue for the café, waiting to be served.

[Aurora Chan]

Aurora smiled as she listened to Celia talk, remembering that she was an unusually chatty Ravenclaw. Generally, the friends Aurora had were in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, because the people there seemed to be friendlier and talkative, which suited Aurora well. Ravenclaws tended to keep to themselves, being quiet and serene. There were those in Hufflepuff too; there was a mix of quiet and loud. However, Aurora didn’t discriminate and judge based purely on house. There was always somebody who didn’t quite fit the cycle, like Ari. “Yes, I have a cousin in Gryffindor in our year, she’s called Ariane, with the same surname as me, so people get us mixed up a lot, what with the same surnames and first names beginning with A.” Ariane had never acted like a typical Gryffie, more like a Slytherin with her cold air, and could easily have been mistaken for a Ravenclaw with her clever abilities in class. She wasn’t loud and noisy and brash like some of her fellow Gryffindors, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t determined and strong minded like them all. “I don’t know what we’d do if we were in the same house.” Aurora giggled cheerfully. “It helps that we’re complete opposites too, what with me being such a social butterfly and Ari the most antisocial person you’ll ever find.”

“Yes.” Aurora bit her lip when Celia mentioned Snape disallowing students without an Outstanding in their Potions OWL. She wasn’t nervous about not being able to gain an Outstanding, because she wasn’t planning on continuing it up to NEWT level, but it was awfully unfair to the people that wanted to. Aurora was sure she had gained at most an Acceptable in the exam, but if that was the case, she was rather contented with that grade. She had never possessed any ability and interest in Potions, and along with Snape as the teacher of the subject for the last five years, Aurora had despised it with a passion all along. Ari was planning on doing Potions for her NEWTs though, and Aurora didn’t doubt her cousin’s chances of getting an Outstanding, but she was rather worried about how Snape would treat her best friend during the course of the next two years. He hadn’t taken a liking to Ari at all, what with her airy, cold attitude and being a Gryffindor with doubtless abilities in Potions. Perhaps if she had been in Slytherin he would’ve treated her with a smidgen more of kindness, but then again, Ari’s thoughtless, icy comebacks at his remarks and refusal to worship his every step would’ve probably landed her in hot water anyway.

Aurora was hated by Snape too, but for differing reasons. He probably thought her useless because she was a Hufflepuff – the Slytherins’ general view of them was that they were pathetic creatures, which Aurora felt indignant and rather angry about. Hufflepuffs were no lower down in class than Slytherins, and she wouldn’t let them treat them that way even if they felt like that. Snape probably also hated Aurora because she was honestly very bad at Potions, and although his sneering face didn’t frighten her, she didn’t want to end up on his bad side either with numerous detentions lined up on Saturday mornings, so she was always rather timid and obedient before him in class. She didn’t snap back like Ari did, but her nervousness with the ingredients forced her to produce bad outcomes during class work, which irritated both Snape and Aurora herself. And even if Snape didn’t see her usual bubbly personality during lessons, he knew about it and probably hated it because she always had a bright happy smile on her face anywhere else but in the dungeons with him.

“Oh, I’m lovely, thank you.” Aurora beamed brightly, as though her inner thoughts of Daniel weren’t there at all. She didn’t let one man bring her down, oh no. “Enjoying my summer holidays to the full, taking each day as it comes. I love relaxing and having no homework and stuff, don’t you? I’m so relieved the OWLs are over.” Aurora admitted with a thankful sigh. “How were the exams for you anyway, Celia? I’m sure they were easier for you than for me. You Ravenclaws tend to be so clever and hardworking.” Aurora joked enviously. “Yes, I’m on holiday here too… Well, you could call it a holiday. We only live in nearby Manchester, so sometimes we pop down here to have a bit of fun. I’m here with my family… Mum, Dad, brother Leo… I don’t think you know him, he’s a Gryffie firstie going into second year. Ari and Harmony are here too, cause they live with us now.” Aurora added, neglecting to explain why exactly her cousins were housing with them. There was no need to indulge unnecessarily things unless Celia asked specifically, right? “I suppose you don’t know Harmony either. She’s Ari’s younger sister, going into fourth year. She’s a Huffle, like me.” Aurora stated proudly, grinning.

“I’m just out here on my own, so how about I keep you company?” Aurora suggested with a smile, “I just needed a break from the family, to enjoy the scenery alone. We’re only here for a few days, and since it’s your first time here, I can help you around, what with your mum and sister abandoning you like that.” Aurora said lightly, beginning to walk towards the café. “No, I don’t go on holiday too often… Can’t say I enjoy it, to be honest. I’m more of a home person myself. But my parents insist we go somewhere every year during the summer holidays, you know? There has to be some sort of annual trip. This isn’t it, I think my parents are planning a vacation to Spain or something.” Aurora shrugged casually as though she was unaware of the happenings and decisions being made. “I don’t mind. I’ll just go along with what they agree on. Vacations are fun, but tiring for me. I’m just extremely lazy!” Aurora laughed playfully at her personality traits. “I’d make a poor Ravenclaw, that’s for sure. Yes, let’s, as you’ve noticed, I was just making my way over there myself. Since I said I’d keep you company, we might as well go together.” Aurora reminded with a reassuring grin. “I’ll even treat you to ice cream or something. I think I’ll have chocolate myself. Favourite flavour of all time. So, what do you want, Celia?” Aurora asked, fishing around her dress pocket for some change. It was in her nature to be generous and kind, and she enjoyed treating her friends even if she didn’t know them very well or was low on money. “I’m glad I’ve met you here.” Aurora commented whilst still searching for loose change. “I don’t get to talk to you a lot at school, do I? So what are you taking next year for your NEWTs?”