Sightseeing ((Maryn and Kavita only))

[livinghope1986]

Mandi stood in her room looking out at the water. She loved seeing that site when she woke up. She living just outside of Brighton on the coast. It was so beautiful. Mandi pulled herself back into the room as she looked at her closet. "Okay, so first I have to get dressed so I can convince my dad to let me go to London today. Let's see if he'll let me out of the house," Mandi smiled as she pulled out a pair of dark jeans and a light blue blouse, where the sleeves rested on the arm instead of the shoulder. She looked at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her long brown hair. It was wavy today and seemed to want to just stay down resting to the middle of her back. She shrugged, she didn't care to put it up anyway. Mandi pulled her light blue purse from the closet and dug into a jar to find her muggle money. Her mother always made her keep a stash away in case she wanted to go shopping in the muggle world instead of the wizarding world. Mandi wasn't sure which she was going to do today so she grabbed muggle money and wizarding money. She loaded it in to her purse and looked around her room. She seemed to have everything.

Mandi exited her room and walked down the stairs to find her father. He had become very strict about her going out recently. She was really hoping that he'd let her go. She sauntered into the kitchen and smiled as she kissed her dad and mum good morning on the cheek. "What are you all dressed up for?" her dad asked. Mandi had intended on waiting until after breakfast to ask, but since he brought it up. "I was wondering if you'd let me go in to London today. I just wanted to do a bit of sightseeing. I haven't been to London in a while and I'd like to do some shopping and stuff," Mandi smiled as she waited for her father's response. He sighed as he looked to her mother, who seemed to reply to his gaze though Mandi didn't see it. "I don't know Mandi. After the attacks on Diagon Alley I just don't feel it's safe,' her dad said.

"But dad, I'm just going to be sightseeing and shopping in muggle shops," Mandi pressed. She didn't know if her father would let her go. He had become very strict after the last attack. 'I guess. I just don't want you to be gone long and you have the cell phone your mother bought you right?" her dad asked. Mandi had nearly forgotten the phone, she wasn't use to it yet and she bolted back up the stairs leaving her mother and father behind.

After a frantic search around her bedroom she was back downstairs with it in her hand. She smiled delightfully at her parents. "I'll get some food in London. I'm going to take the train. Bye mummy. Bye dad," Mandi smiled as she kissed them both on the cheek again before she bounded out the door and toward the train station. She was absolutely thrilled at having the day to herself. She didn't know why her dad hadn't argued, maybe he was finally realizing that there really wasn't a threat while school was out. Mandi smiled to herself as she reached the train station. She pulled out some of her money and handed it to the man behind the counter. "Thank you, have a nice trip to London," he said rather unenthusiastically. Mandi thanked him as she quickly boarded the nearly empty train. She sat down and soon the train was rocking back and forth on its way to London.

The train ride went by quickly and soon Mandi found herself standing outside on the London streets. It's so amazing she found herself thinking. She had always admired London and she quickly felt the familiar feeling of happiness course through her veins. 'Where to first?' she thought to herself.

[kavitashaw]

Kavita lived in the outskirts of London, and often took her little brothers with her for the day, to get them out of her mother’s hair. Although the girl was still rather young, her parents trusted her because she was very responsible. She even dressed adult-like. Her white sweater, scarlet skirt, and silver locket made her look almost like a librarian. However, today was different. Her brothers were spending a few days at her aunt’s home, so Kavita was going alone. Well, not completely.

She was unsure if muggles allowed cats on trains, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. Rufus, her Abyssinian cat, sat quietly in her lap the short ride to London. He hadn’t been out of the house in a while anyway, and he needed the exercise. The train stopped and Kavita walked off. A muggle hurried by her with a brown suit and a case. He hadn’t even noticed he had stepped on her foot. She bit her lip to bottle the pain and walked on to get out of peoples’ way. She found a clearing at the platform and set Rufus down beside her. She wasn’t afraid the orange cat would run off. He always stuck very close beside her, which was kind of unusual for a cat.

She looked up and noticed an older, brown haired girl get off one of the other trains. She looked familiar in some way, like she had seen her somewhere before. Maybe Hogwarts? She wasn’t sure, and she was to shy to walk up to the girl and ask.

There was a large three-sided panel standing in the center of the station with a city map on each side that suddenly caught Kavita’s eye. She and Rufus walked up to it. As Kavita examined it, Rufus sat and began to clean himself. “Hmmm..” She said, more to herself than her cat. “What can we do today?”

[livinghope1986]

Mandi smiled as she stretched her legs. She couldn't believe her father had allowed her to go to London. Especially after the attacks on Diagon Alley. Mandi swung her purse over her shoulder as she strolled to the city map that was located in-between the trains. She reached it and heard a girl speaking. Mandi looked around, but couldn't see anyone around the girl, but her. "Are you talking to me?" Mandi asked with amusement. She didn't know the girl, though she seemed some what familiar. However, Mandi thought everyone looked familiar these last few years. She was always seeing people she thought she recognized, but on second glance she realized she didn't know them after all.

Mandi smiled at the girl and then stuck her hand out, "Mandi Aspden. You're name is?" Mandi loved to introduce herself to people and couldn't help but wanting to befriend the entire world. She probably would be able to if she had the time to meet everyone. She had one of those attitudes that caused her to stick out like sore thumb. She was sweet, caring, and had a tendency to put others before herself. She always wanted people to be able to count on her, which had it's drawbacks. She had been taken advantage of many times, but it didn't stop her from making friends. If she could be a help to others than her life was complete. She realized that if she could help just one person than she could die happy. Her attention was back on the girl as she began to answer her.

[Maryn Livley]

Maryn was dancing around her room in London, practicing her ballet. She did a number of gracefull jumps and spins and then decided to add a different kind of move to the dance she was Choreographing. She jumped high in the air, threw her arms and legs backwards, but jumped forwards, falling to the floor she threw her arms out to hold her, then did a number of floor splits and moves. Satisfied with her routine she took a sip of her water bottle and decided it was time for a break. "I think i'll go shopping." She said aloud. She put on a pair of jeans, her brown tank top with gold beading, and added gold earings, gold shoes, and a gold summer scarf. She quickly did her make-up then left her room.

After she cleared her outing with her mom, she set off walking. She decided to check out shops near the train station. As she past she noitced two girls she barley reconized. "They must go to Hogwarts" she thought. "Well, I think i'll say hello."

She approached the two girls. One of the she now rembered to be a fifth year Gryffindor. The other girl seemed younger. "Hi, I'm Maryn Livley. Whats your names." She asked smiling.

[kavitashaw]

Kavita jumped slightly when she heard the girl who was suddenly standing right next to her. She turned her head towards her. She could now see older girl more clearly and she was sure she knew her from somewhere.

It took a moment or two for Mandi’s question to process. “What? You? Oh…oh no!” She laughed quietly. “I was talking to my cat, sorry.” She motioned towards the ginger cat at her feet with her index finger.

There seemed to be a second of uncomfortable silence, but perhaps it was all in Kavita’s head. At any rate, Mandi’s name was definitely familiar as well. Maybe she did go to Hogwarts.

“Hello, Mandi.” She began softly. “I’m Kavita Shaw and I live not to far from London. What school do you go to?” She tried her hardest to make the question vague enough for a possible muggle, without making it sound too awkward.

Just then another girl approached them. She was very pretty and seemed to have the body of a dancer. “Hello.” She replied shyly. “My name’s Kavita Shaw. Have we met?”

[livinghope1986]

Mandi smiled as she looked down at the ginger cat that was sitting at the girl's feet. "Sorry, I just didn't see anyone," Mandi laughed as she looked back at the girl. Mandi figured she had startled her by asking her if she was talking to her, but it didn't matter too much to Mandi. The girl introduced herself as Kavita Shaw and Mandi recognized the name, although she wasn't sure from where. Kavita asked Mandi where she went to school and Mandi bit her lip. She didn't know what to say, if she was a muggle there was no way Mandi could say Hogwarts. Mandi willed for something to happen so she didn't have to answer the question. She pretended to fix her hair in an attempt to avoid the question.

At this point another girl joined the group to Mandi's great relief. Mandi knew the new girl went to Hogwarts. She had seen her around the Gryffindor common room. The girl introduced herself as Maryn which Mandi was grateful for, because she couldn't remember her name, she was always bad with names. "I think we've met once before. Mandi Aspden," Mandi smiled at the girl. She didn't want to say where in case Kavita was indeed a muggle, but there was something familiar about the girl. Mandi just couldn't place her. She looked down at the ginger cat that seemed to be watching them. Mandi realized that was quite unusual for a cat to be that interested in humans. She looked around at the other two girls wondering what was going to come next. Maryn and her could talk well about Hogwarts and what was happening in the wizarding world, but they couldn't in front of Kavita, unless she was a witch too. Mandi just didn't know her at all, just that faint recognition, but she wasn't sure from where. Mandi hoped that something would be said about it. She decided to push her luck on the subject and asked them both a question. "This place is packed with muggles isn't it?" Mandi asked. She hoped if Kavita was a muggle she wouldn't really inquire too much about the word, but if she was a witch Mandi knew they would all be able to talk about Hogwarts. She watched Kavita to see what her reaction was over her choice of words.

[kavitashaw]

As soon as Kavita heard the word “muggle” her face lit up with surprise. She whirled around, back to Mandi, mouth slightly gaped. She didn’t even realize she had almost stepped on Rufus’ tail. Looking peeved, he walked away to rub against a nearby potted plant. So she was a witch.

Replacing her stupefied expression with a smile she replied, “Yes, it is!”She followed up her statement, not wanting it to be left hanging. “…but I don’t mind them. Do…do you two go to Hogwarts?” She asked them the question still rather warily.

[Maryn Livley]

One of the girls introduced herslef as Kavita. "No I don't think we have." Maryn answered Kavita's question. The other girl said she was Mandi. "Yes, I think we have me."Mandi seemed to choose her words very carefully around Kavita she didn't seem to think she was a witch. Maryn knew Kavita was. She had seen her around Hogwarts. Mandi aked said the place was full of muggles just to test kavita. She replied that it was. "Yes, there are alot of muggles here, but i'm used to it. Yes, I go to Hogwarts. I'm a third year Gryffindor. Whats house are you in?" Maryn answered Kavita's question and then added a question.

[livinghope1986]

((Sorry it took so long to reply. Thanks for the heads up Kavita.))

Mandi smiled when Kavita answered her question. She thought she was so slick by adding in that question. "I wasn't sure if you were a muggle or not. I thought I'd test it out to see," Mandi laughed. She was glad they could all sit and talk together. "I love muggles, my mum's one herself. They have a lot of knowledge that our kind don't really ever consider." Mandi smiled as Kavita asked about Hogwarts.

"Yeah, I'm in Gryffindor, 5th year. Pretty important year," Mandi sighed. She had been looking forward to her O.W.L.s, but she hadn't been studying as much as she wanted to. Instead she found her mind wandering to the distant future or instead to her father's dangerous job. She didn't really know what to do about that, but thought of everything possible as she ignored her studies.

[kavitashaw]

Kavita smiled with a nod of comprehension to both of them. “I’m only a second year Hufflepuff, I’m afraid,” She hesitated a second before revealing her house name. She was aware that it seemed to have a reputation of being wimpy or oblivious. “…but I’m already worried about the O.W.L.s. I’m scared I’ll mess it all up.” She added with a half smile.

Kavita turned and looked at the map once more. “I see that there’s an outdoor café not far from here. Maybe we could go there.” It was then she remembered they might not be in the city for leisure. They might not even be interested in hanging out together. “I mean… if you want to.” She said in a soft, shy voice.