Lost and alone (Ivy and anyone else)

[IluvSiriusRIP]

Phelan stopped. She was sure she'd passed that statue before. Everything was so big and out of place compared to her last school and she wasn't even sure what her next lesson was. It wasn't time for lessons she knew that, but she was eager to get things right at this school.
She reached into her bag and pulled out her timetable, but as she did she stepped on her robes and tumbled forward. Her timetable fell from her hands and the contents off her bag flew over the floor. Phelan picked herself up and winced as she leant onto her right leg. She'd twisted it as she fell. She looked at the mess on the floor and let out an exasperated sigh as she saw that her ink bottles had smashed over all her books. This was just typical.
"Perfect....." She whispered, kneeling down to pick up all of her things and place them into her bag. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of how angry everyone would be with her if she didn't shape up and get good grades.

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy walked along the corridor, smiling. This was a rare sight. The sunny weather had seemed incongruous to her mood for about a week now. Since she found out about her father's death. She had been distraught. Now she was a little calmer. She would get through this. She'd got through everything else.

Ivy saw a younger girl walking along the corridor. She was alone. Well, it wasn't unfamiliar for Ivy. She'd spent more and more time alone recently. Trying to figure things out in her head. It hadn't worked much, though. It helped more to talk things through with Kiyla.

Ivy was disturbed from heer morose thoughts by a sound of glass shattering. That didn't sound good. Ivy saw the second year on her hands and knees, looking just a tad upset. That wouldn't do. Ivy didn't want other people to be upset.

Ivy walked swiftly over to the girl, who had blonde hair and looked about the same age as Nokomis. She was certainly about the same build. Skinny.

"Can I help?" she asked, looking concerned.

[IluvSiriusRIP]

Phelan wiped her tears away hastely as she heard a female voice from above her.
"Whatever," Phelan muttered. She glanced up to see a girl a little older than herself with long brown hair, about medium build and dark brown eyes. She looked nice enough, but Phelan knew not to judge on appearances and watched the girl very closely.
"My name's Phelan Jones. I'm new, just transfered, second year Gryffindor. What's your story?" She spoke carefuly, not taking her eyes off the new arrival even though she knew she'd embarass herself somehow.
As if some greater force had been reading her thoughts she felt her last remaining ink bottle slip from her grasp and head on its short journey to smash on the floor.

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy looked down as Phelan asked her 'her story'. It was certainly a good question. What was her story up till now? A perfectly normal childhood, with a perfectly ordinary academic background. And then her mother abandoning her at the age of ten because she chose to go to a wizarding school. Why should it be such a problem? Her father getting progressively more ill. And then dying because of her mother. Where did her story lead her next?

Ivy noticed the ink bottle Phelan had in her hands start to slide. Soon it was falling. There was some way to go, although it was picking up speed easily. She leant down to catch it.

Ivy handed it to Phelan, smiling in a friendly way. "I'm Ivy," she said. "Ivy Tunstall, Hufflepuff third year."

[IluvSiriusRIP]

Phelan blushed, the red showing up easily on her pale skin. She took the ink bottle from Ivy's hand and mumbled a thanks.
Maybe this girl wouldn't be to bad. She didn't seem to phased by Phelan's rudeness, always a good thing in a friend.... Phelan paused and reprimanded herself for thinking about making friends with this stranger already. A mistake like that could be fatal.
"Thanks and I'm sorry for being prickly. Not used to kind strangers." Phelan said the last sentence bitterly and resumed shoving her books into her bag.
She'd have to work out a way to get the ink off them later, but getting away from this girl was her fist priority. It seemed as though she'd been carrying a million more books than she remembered having. Sighing she moved to collect the rest of them from the ink soaked floor and into her fairly clean bag.

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy's eyes widened. She found Phelan's manner of expressing herself slightly strange. But then again, Ivy herself was not always particularly composed. She hadn't really met many people as shy as herself, except for, perhaps Vanessa. And Nokomis, too. She was shy.

'Not used to kind strangers." The words repeated in Ivy's head. That wasn't fair. Something must have happened to make Phelan feel that. Ivy felt a little curious, but restrained it. This was not the time. She didn't know if she'd ever speak to Phelan again. It often happened that way with people you stopped to help. After all, it was just the natural thing to do.

"I take it you've had a bad experience." Ivy said, not unkindly. She could tell that Phelan could not wait to get away from her. That was a shame. She supposed she must be a little embarassed.

"You could try Scourgify," Ivy suggested to her. "Though I'm not sure if that wouldn't get rid of absolutely all the ink, including the stuff you want to stay." She gave Phelan a small smile, but she was cautious. She didn't want to seem too over-bearing.

[IluvSiriusRIP]

"Hn. Shit happens to those who least expect it, I suppose." Phelan looked Ivy over carefully. "Thanks for the spell, I'm not to great at them."

She leant down and picked up the last of her books, Potions typical! "I'll see you arround... Wandering around here till I find Defence Against the Dark Arts should kill some time."

She began to walk away slowly. Then stopped, turned and stared Ivy straight in the eyes.

"You never told me your story. I'll expect it someday. Then... I'll tell you mine if you want it."

Once again she walked away even slower than before hoping Ivy would catch the hint to follow. Another part of her hoped she'd never see the girl again. A whole new school and a even more confusing life than before.... Well almost....

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy raised her eyebrows as the girl walked away. Well, that had certainly been a ... different meeting to the usual. She wasn't quite sure about this girl, to be honest. She had quite an abrupt way of expressing herself, and in a way aggressive. Maybe she was just different... unique... in her own special way. It would be hard to know unless you knew her better.

"Reparo," Ivy muttered, and picked up the repaired ink bottles. "Scourgify," she said and cleaned the ink off the floor.

Ivy shook her head to clear her thoughts, and then went after the girl. There were a lot of ink-pots, actually, Ivy thought, especially considering that the girl had taken one away too. The shattered glass had separated itself into three inkpots. A lot of ink to have go over your books. But why did she need four ink-pots? Ivy only carried two around.

"You're mad," Ivy told herself, "utterly mad. Thinking about nothing other than ink-pots. What's the big deal?" Ivy frowned, but maybe the return of her other self showed that inside she was going back to normal. It was a shame it hadn't gone away for good - it was a real nuisance. But at least she knew now that it was definitely her that was in charge. In a crisis, it was she who stayed in firm command.

Finally Ivy caught up with Phelan again. She had been walking at about half the speed Ivy had been walking at, which was saying something, and she looked lost again. Ivy tapped her on the shoulder.

"You forgot these," she said, producing the ink bottles.