Nervous and alone ((Conlan))

[livinghope1986]

Mandi pulled her jean jacket on over her blue tank top and jeans. She grabbed her purse and checked her reflection. "Hair still up and nice. Eye shadow perfect," Mandi said to her reflection. She turned around in her room and moved to Artemis. "You be quiet and don't let them know that I went out. Dad's been refusing to let me go anywhere since Diagon Alley. Just make sure that you're quiet," Mandi said to her owl as she fed him. She petted the barn owl before she turned away from him.

Mandi opened her door quietly and moved down the staircase. She glanced around the corner to see if her parents were in the kitchen, they weren't and Mandi quickly entered. She grabbed the Floo Powder from the mantle above the fire place and stepped into it quickly. "Hogsmeade!" Mandi said clearly as she threw the Floo Powder down. Within seconds she was spinning through fire places on her way to Hogsmeade.

Mandi stumbled out of the fire place and quickly dusted herself off. She smiled at the woman nearby as she hurried out of the door of the transportation house. Outside the sky was blacking and it looked like it was going to rain. She was in the need of some cheerful times and it didn't look like it was going to happen now. She had even tried to play music back at home and that hadn't even cheered her up. Mandi knew that if her father found out she was gone she would probably be forced to stay inside until school resumed.

Mandi paused at the Shrieking Shack. It was looking more frightening than ever in the darkness and the doom that had surrounded Mandi. Her normal bubbly attitude had become subdued after the attacks on Diagon Alley. It was so unbelievable and Mandi wanted more than anything to find and hurt those Death Eaters. The wind began to pick up and Mandi turned from the shack and headed toward The Three Broomsticks. She didn't want to get stuck outside in the rain. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Diagon Alley. She had been there with Terra when the attacks had happened. It had been horrible to witness. Luckily her father had Apparated with the other Aurors and had taken her home immediately before she had been harmed. The images of the day were still burned into her mind and she couldn't help but think about the screaming.

Mandi's attention turned back to Hogsmeade as she neared the Three Broomsticks. She pulled open the door and walked inside. It was warm inside and Mandi smiled at Madam Rosmerta. "I'd like a warm Butterbeer please," Mandi said as she fished out 7 sickles to give to Madam Rosmerta. Depositing her sickles she was handed a Butterbeer and she quickly took a seat in a corner of the pub. There was only a handful of other people, all sitting at a table together. It seemed that no one wanted to be alone anymore and Mandi wished she had thought about going with someone. She hated to be alone especially now that Diagon Alley had been attacked. She hastily took a drink of her Butterbeer trying to calm her thoughts on the subject, yet the more she realized she was alone the more nervous she became. Her eyes began to dart around the pub looking for signs of unusualness.

[elephntsnvrfrgt]

Conlan walked down the streets of Hogsmede. Ever since the attacks on Diagon Alley Conlan was forced to shop here. He hadn't been there but her had friends that had been there that were hurt some seriously. Conlan pulled his traveling cloack tighter around him trying to shield himself from the cold. His parents were out shopping so he was left alone. Alone didn't suit him it just didn't fit so to solve his lonelyness he walked into the Three Broomsticks and walked up to the bar.

As usual Madame Rosmerta was behind the counter, and she was still pretty as usual, and Conlan ordered a butterbeer. Conlan paid her and turned around and took a swig of his drink which warmed him instantly. He looked around wanting to see a familiar face seeing no one he headed towards an empty table. By the table there was an group of people and at another table there was only a girl. He decided to sit at the table with the girl.

"You don't mind if I sit here do you"? Conlan said sitting in one of the empty chairs at the small table. "I just shouldn't be trusted alone with my thoughts might be dangerous" his thick irish accent made some of of the words slur together. Conlan smiled "I'm Conlan Ophelia by the way".

[livinghope1986]

Mandi was grateful when a boy came to her table. She didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts forever falling back on the day of the attacks at Diagon Alley. "No, I don't mind. Actually, I'm a bit relieved," Mandi said as she smiled. She laughed at his comment about being left alone. "I know what you mean. Conlan it's nice to meet you, I'm Mandi Aspden," Mandi said as she extended her hand in a friendly shake. He seemed friendly and Mandi didn't want to be alone on such a cold day. She just wanted to go back to the way things were before the Dark Lord returned. She pushed the thoughts from her head as she took another drink of her Butterbeer.

"What brings you to Hogsmeade on such a cold and dreary day?" Mandi asked as she sat her bottle back on the table. "I'm not sure why I'm here. I just needed to get away from my parents for a while. If they knew I was here I'd probably be in trouble. Though, I tend not to follow the rules too well." Mandi smiled as she played with her ring on her finger. She had the habit of doing that when she was nervous. It didn't happen too often, but the people who knew Mandi the best knew the reaction all too well. She stopped spinning the ring and listened to Conlan's reply.

[elephntsnvrfrgt]

"Well Mandi I'm pleased to meet you as well" Conlan smiled at the girl and shook the hand offered to him. She seemed to be allot like Conlan, she didn't like to be left alone but that was probably for two different reasons. He sipped his butterbeer and began to relax at the warmth it offered. Mandi asked Conlan a question about why he was here on such a terrible day. He watched as she spun her ring around on her finger then realizing what she was doing she stopped.

"Mandi what are you talking about cold and dreary the weather outside is perfect" the weather wasn't exactly his style but it made for a good joke. "I'm here with my parents though they needed to stock up on supplies. Me mums is Medi-Wizard and me da works at Gringots so the two of them are extremely busy at the moment, sure you can imagine why, so this is the only chance they have to stock up" he said referring to the recent attacks on Diagon Alley. He hadn't been there at the time but he knew some people that had been. "So Mandi why are you here on such a lovely day"

[livinghope1986]

Mandi smiled at Conlan's joke about being a wonderful day. Sure it wasn't hot, but the wind chilled you to the bone and that wasn't what Mandi would call a nice day. She listened with interest as Conlan talked about his mum being a Medi-wizard. "Wow, that's so cool that your mum is a medi-wizard. About Gringott's, do you know what they're going to do now that it's been destroyed? I mean, is the money still okay since it was underground?" Mandi asked. She had been wondering about that since she heard about the attacks. It wasn't like she wanted her money, it was just that she was running low and her school supplies were expensive. Besides, how was the wizarding world going to continue if the money was gone. They'd eventually have to steal from the muggles if that ever happened. Mandi shook the thought from her head as Conlan asked her a question.

"Oh, I'm out on this lovely day as you call it, because I couldn't stand being home anymore. My dad just finished training as an Auror. He's been refusing to let me go out anywhere. He thinks it's too dangerous, especially Hogsmeade. I guess they think it'll be the next place to be attacked. I don't think so. I think the Death Eaters know it will be watched closely so they won't attack it. I kind of snicked out of my house so I could spend some time in a wizarding place," Mandi said as she took another drink of her Butterbeer. She hated staying home, especially when she wanted to be around people. With her father out and her mother at work, there was no body, but her owl, Artemis and he wasn't always the best of company. "Are your parents being over protective about this whole Death Eater attack?" Mandi asked as she sat her bottle back on the table. She was curious to see what his parents thought.

[elephntsnvrfrgt]

"Ah the bank that's been on everyone's mind at the moment 'asn't it"? he asked " Well I'm not so sure about the bank my da isn't allowed to talk about it at the moment all I know is all the money is fine" it was the truth his da wasn't allowed to talk about it but Conlan knew more than he was letting on, his parents didn't even know how much he knew. But he wasn't about to tell anyone about it because his dad could loose his job. "Ya being a Medi-Wizard is cool, did I say that's what I wanted to do when I graduate from school" he was already talking to Madame Pomfrey about helping her out in the Hospital Wing.

"My parents aren't very concerned about these Dementor attacks as long as I am with them but they wouldn't want me to be out alone" Conlan thought about it for a minuet then added "Your da being an Auror is awesome that would be a pretty cool job. I'm sorry about not being able to leave the house that would be boring". Conlan's

[livinghope1986]

Mandi smiled as Conlan talked about the band. At least the money was OK. Maybe the money would get transferred to Hogsmeade so she could get some there. That would be nice, especially during the school year. Mandi took another drink of her Butterbeer. She was much happier that she had company as apposed to being alone again. She didn't mind being alone, but her overactive imagination had been running away with her for the last couple of days. She kept picturing giants and Death Eaters attacking her.

"Oh, you want to be a medi-wizard. That's really cool! That'd be so cool to be able to heal people and know how to make them feel better. I'm not very good with that kind of thing. I'm real good at Transfiguration and Charms though. I guess that's good since I want to be an Auror like my father," Mandi said with a smile. She'd already been studying for her O.W.L.s for the past month. She knew that studying was the only thing she could do to be sure to make it into the Auror program.

Conlan talked about the attacks and about how Mandi's dad had a pretty cool job. "Thanks, but I really don't need to have someone feel sorry for me because I'm supposed to stay inside. My dad did it for good reason and if he knew I was disobeying him right now, then he'd probably lock me in my room. The thing is that he has this cool job and all, but he's afraid that I'm in danger. He keeps saying, 'it's not safe, especially for you.' It's a bit annoying really. I'm almost 16 years old. You'd think he'd be a bit more understanding of my abilities both as a witch and as a genius," Mandi said with a smile. She always like referring to herself as a genius. She wasn't really a genius, but she was smarter than she let on. She usually knew the right answers to the questions her professors would ask, but refused to answer all of them. Besides she knew it hadn't really helped Hermione in the long run and she wasn't about to be looked upon as a know-it-all.

"So, are you nervous for our 5th year. I mean O.W.L.s are at the end and from what I understand they're the test that pretty much decides what we should do when we get out of Hogwarts. I've been studying like mad all summer. Do you know what kind of N.E.W.T.s you need to take to become a medi-wizard?" Mandi asked with interest. She couldn't remember them off the top of her head, but she knew that one was Herbology.