It's raining... ((Ashley))

[laurap]

Laura walked down some random hallway on the third floor trying to find a quiet place where to study. The common room was crowded beyond belief and the same could be said about the library and the student lounge. Glancing out of the window she just passed, Laura grimaced at the rain that was falling down as one huge gray sheet. It was wet outside and rather chilly inside the castle as well.
Hugging her potions book and notes closer to her Laura entered a rather large and empty room. Maybe it had been a classroom once, as it had one big table and some chairs in it, but the center of the room was completely empty.

Sighing Laura moved to the desk and placed her book and notes on the table. She had a big test coming up in Potions and Laura was dreading it. Sighing and throwing her braid back over her shoulder Laura started to study. It was two hours later that Laura finally raised her head and stretched. Making some circles with her head, Laura tried to get the stiffness out of her shoulders.
For a moment Laura looked out of the window, where the weather didn’t appear to be changed and almost unconsciously started tapping a rhythm. Noticing what she had been doing Laura grinned and for a moment tried to recall what song she had been thinking off as she started to sing the lyrics quietly:
“Beneath this snowy mantle cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting
for its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings a song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers
that will bloom again in spring
When I was young my heart was young then too
Anything that it would tell me,
that's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life
Is the thing I can't win.”<br>
Laura smiled – she had a very good voice actually as it got louder slowly. Knowing she possibly couldn’t concentrate on potions anymore Laura got up and started twirling with her eyes close slowly dancing as she continued that song that had been bothering her. It was Anne Murray’s song “Snowbird” and it was one of her grand-mothers favorites:

“Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know
that I would fly away with you
The breeze along the river seems to say
That he'll only break my heart again
should I decide to stay
So little snowbird take me with you when you go
To that land of gentle breezes
where the peaceful waters flow

Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know
that I would fly away with you
yah if I could, you know that I would fly away with you.”<br>
Laura smiled softly – she loved dancing and singing and drawing even more than Quidditch and flying. Almost more. Not very many people know about it though as Laura was shy and usually stayed in the back-ground. But there was no-one here right now, so why not enjoy it? Glancing towards the window Laura saw that it was still raining though, so she sighed. She didn't like rain.

((I'm really sorry it took me so long to put it up ))

[Ashley Hill]

((Don't worry I haven't been posting much lately. But forcing myself to get back into the game so my posts are going to be very weak.))

It was a rainy day and classes had just let out. Professor Snape had just given all his students a major test at the end of the week and Ashley had to study. Even know her dad was a muggle her mother was a witch they still cared about what kind of scores their daughter would get on the up coming O.W.L.S. But potion class was really hard for Ashley. There were too many things to remember and a lot of work to the making of a potion. But no one said Potions was an easy course. But why couldn't it be like Herbology, Divination, or Charms. Those thee courses were Ashley's favorites. Professor Flitwick was quite a good teacher and Ashley thought the short man was very nice. But Professor Sprout was also very welcoming as well and the warmth of the green houses always made Ashley feel at home. Back at home in London, Meredith Hill would always want Ashley to plant flowers and trees with her. Some times her mother would use magic and it always made her happy to know that Meredith loved doing magic and would never trade it in for the world.

The wind began to howl outside and a band of thunder seemed to shake the castle. A shiver went up Ashley’s spine as she tied her robes closer to her body in hopes to feel warm again. Ashley never really liked thunder storms or water and it made her feel sad again and gloomily. That was not like her regular self. Ashley was this very hyper and over bubbly person who loved to talk, but her moods did change at time but never something too dramatic. Taking out a CD player from her shoulder bag, Ashley put on her head phones and turned up the music as loud as it could go and began to dance down the corridor to the lovely music.

"Found myself today
Oh I found myself and ran away
Something pulled me back
The voice of reason I forgot I had
All I know is just you're not here to say
What you always used to say
But it's written in the sky tonight

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
Someone's watching over me" Ashley sang down the hallway twirling around and standing on her tippie toes.

After what seemed liked hours of dancing, Ashley made her way to a dead end but heard a soft singing voice coming from one of the so called class rooms. "Lenora?" Ashley called out into the corridor but only heard her echo return. Biting her lower lip she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ears Ashley opened the door to her right and pecked inside. A girl a year below her was sitting down and writing a song with a potions book right next to her. Walking further into the class room, Ashley shut the door silently behind her and smiled listening to this girl sing. It sounded so much like Lenora's voice and made Ashley feel slightly more at home.

Remembering that her volume was up all the way, Ashley turned it down and sat down next to the girl and looked at the lyrics she was writing. "Wow you have a great voice! I wish I could sing like you! But no my voice is horrible and could make mirrors break." she said returning to her hyper self and grinning like and idiotic. "Oh my names Ashley Irene Hill, But some people call me Ash. Who are you and you are in Hufflepuff right?" Ashley asked looking out the window and watching the rain fall from the sky.

[laurap]

Some wrong rhythm and even faint echo disturbed Laura. But she was so absorbed in her mind that she couldn’t immediately tell from where the disturbance came from. Just then someone spoke to her and Laura literally jumped out of her seat.
It took a couple of moments to Laura to calm and then she blinked seeing that it was a fellow Hufflepuff. A year older than Laura, but still a Hufflepuff which was good. Laura would most probably be scared out of her wits if a Slytherin had walked onto her right now.

It took a couple of more moments for the girls words to sink into. She complimented Laura’s voice.
“Oh, th-thank you,” Laura mumbled feeling blood rising into her cheeks as she blushed, “I’m Laura. Pennington. And yes, I’m from Hufflepuff.”<br>Trying to ignore the blush she had on her face, Laura wondered how weird she had made herself seem.
“Were you looking for someone? Or meeting someone here?” Laura asked suddenly concerned – she most certainly didn’t want to ruin anyone’s plans. Feeling completely embarrassed now with her babbling and blushing Laura fell silent. She really wasn’t all that great around people.

[Ashley Hill]

Looking from the window to the girl, Ashley turned her head to the right slightly and smiled kindly. This girl was very shy around people and Ashley could tell very easily. Her sister Elina was very shy and so was Nokomis and Ivy, but those were her only three best friends next to Lenora, and Ashley knew how to act around people who felt some what timid around others. Giving the girl another bright smile she jumped to her feet as Laura said se was in Hufflepuff. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I saw you at the table everyday eating and in classes as well. Names slip my mind like butter you know? It's hard but you know its all good." Ashley said sitting back down on the ground and jumped yet again at another band of thunder.

"Don't you hate storms Laura? They scare me and make me feel very sad and grumpy. But now I am all hyper because of candy. Want some I got muggle sweets and wizarding." Ashley asked tipping her shoulder bag open and tons of candy fell onto the ground with a loud thump along with her stuffed care bear. Snatching the stuff animal up in her arms, Ashley held it close while taking a deep breath. It smelled like home essence of fresh flowers. "I miss home....I am in my fourth year but still very home sick." Ashley told Laura still hugging the bear tight while pulling a wrapper off of a chocolate bar.

Pulling the wrapper off the chocolate some more Ashley heard the girl ask about meting anyone here. Putting the candy in her mouth Ashley shock her head and responded, "No I thought you were my other friend Lenora Byers. You two have the same great voice and it’s really nice! I wish I could sing! Could you teach me? Hey Laura you can take some candy.....take as much as you won’t." Ashley said with a cherry smile and handing the younger girl the teddy bears that was sitting in her lap. "It’s a wish a lot bear named clover. I never go any where with out. Do you have anything like this?" Ashley asked very excited to know if she did.

[laurap]

Laura smiled as Ashley didn’t seem to mind her rather shy behavior. She continued speaking and Laura felt a bit easier as she slipped out from behind the writing table she had retreated and smiled back: “I don’t like storms either. Can’t say I hate them either though. It’s rain that makes me sad. I usually comfort myself with something grandpa told me. He said that angels are crying, when it rains and that rain washes away sorrows and worries. Maybe it does because I always do feel better when it stops raining. Or maybe it’s just because I’m sad when it rains.”<br>
“Muggle sweets. Thank you, I haven’t had them for so long,” Laura said with a smile as she picked up some candy and ate it, closing her eyes to savour the taste. Tasting the chocolate reminded Laura of home – this candy was her mothers favorite, so they always had a small supply of them at home. Laura swallowed and wondered what house her mother was working on right now.

“Clover? It looks pretty. I don’t have a teddy-bear, but I had a teddy-dog instead. It’s in my dormitory. It’s the thing the reveals me being home-sick more than anything else,” Laura’s eyes turned sad. His father who was a wizard lived in Japan and had a separate family there. But her mother lived in the middle of London, so they couldn’t exchange letters by owl very often and there was no other way to keep in touch during the school-year.
Giving her braid a sharp tug, Laura smiled softly at Ashley, turning her thoughts to happier thoughts: “Of course I’ll teach you how to sing. Everyone can sing – it just takes a little practice and confidence to get started.”<br>