Alicia walked into the common room and streched, yawning. She walked up to her dorm, put her bag on her bed, and picked up her little white kitten. The kitten had little black paws. Her name... was Mittens. Alicia went back to the dorm, Mittens in her arms, cuddling, and purring loudly, like a motor. Alicia laughed and sat in one of the over-stuffed armchairs happily, playing with her kitten.
The kitten was jumping around, batting at Alicia's long hair and the frills that she had added onto her school uniform today. Then, being a kitten and easily distracted, Mittens jumped of Alicia's lap and started exploring the common room for what seemed the millionth time. She mewed at a couple of students doing homework, and flounced over a few laps. She played with hair, bags, or anything that moved... or was a string. Alicia watched Mittens, a good-humored smile on her face.
He went into the common room and sat down on the couch.He hadnt been here for a while it felt so good to be back again.He could see Ginny again and all his friends after being away for so long.
Mittens saw the boy come in and flounced over to him. She jumped onto his lap and mewed at him. Then she blinked her eyes, studying him a moment before starting a full force battle with imaginary string, still on the boy's lap. It was a wonder how she remained on his lap, bouncing around and all. She nearly slipped off a lot, but managed to pull herself up.
"Mittens!" Alicia chided from the chair, a twinkle in her eyes as she tried to keep from laughing. She walked over and extended a hand to the boy, "Hello, my name is Alicia, and that white thing playing on your lap is Mittens."
Mittens stopped playing, hearing her name. She let out a little meow and looked at Alicia. Then she started playing again, having the best time of her little furry life.
Ginny came in, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She threw a red envelope to Josh.
"Better open it now, Joshua." She said. It was, of course a howler, from their mother.
He looked up at Alicia.And grabbed her hand."Names Josh."He picked up the envelope Ginny gave to him."Not even goin to say hi?"
"Open that before it catches fire. I'm not cleaning up any messes my stupid brother makes."
He wondered why she wasnt being as nice as he thought she would be.He quickly opened it and what was it?Of course a howler."Josh Weasley what in heavens name were you doing?"The envelope said in the shape of mums face."You could have gotten killed!!!Thats is why for the next 5 years you are grounded in the summer!!"Josh's face of dissapointment looked at the little kitten.
Ginny didn't even smirk as the envolpe flipped into the air and turned black. She snaked out her hand, catching it and making it dissappear.
He slowly started petting the kitten and looked around the room.So many familiar faces so many new ones.Right now he was just trying to forget what had just happened.
Alicia looked away when he opened the howler, wincing as it gave it's message. When it was done, she looked back and saw that he was petting Mittens, who had stayed on his lap, even when the letter was shouting at him. Mittens really seemed to fancy this boy for no reason at all. She was purring extremely loudly and arching her back when he passed his hand over her soft white fur. Her eyes were closed, and she was in kitten heaven.
Mittens opened her eyes a little bit, looked up at the boy, and then curled up on his lap in a little ball, still purring furiously. She rested her head on her paws and the tip of her tail fell on her nose. She looked so cute, too cute to be real. Alicia smiled and looked at Josh, "She really likes you, you know. I've only ever seen her react like that with me. Nobody else who's petted her gets her to like it that much. You must have a knak for kittens."
She smiled kindly, reassuring him that she had already forgotten about the howler. She turned a little and saw the girl that she had met not too long ago, "Hello Ginny, how are you?"
He looked at the cat and wondered off thinking about something else.
It was a little weird for Josh to do this because he was usually so active.
Alicia blinked and looked at him and then to her cat. She shrugged and sat in a near-by chair. She curled up and kept an eye on her kitten. Who knew what a kitten could get into, even if she looked like she was sleeping. This was a magic school, anything could happen.
Magic... Again Alicia wondered why she had magic in her blood. She had been a normal girl, though she did have to admit that some strange things happened to her before she got her letter. But still, she was close to all of her family, especially her sister. Now they had what seemed like an ocean between them. How had things gotten like that?
Mittens lifted her head and looked at Alicia as if she felt the eleven year olds dismay.
He saw the look on Alicia's face.
"Anything wrong?"He said felling a little weird inside when he said so.
"Not really. It's just that when I got my letter, my sister was jealous of me. It didn't turn out too well. I miss her," Alicia said quietly. She looked down and laced her fingers together.
I will not cry, I will not cry! Alicia said mentally to herself. She blinked, and tears formed at the edges of her eyes. She missed her sister so much, not having much contact since she got the letter. She sniffed and rubbed her sleeve across her eyes.
She shook her head and kept her eyes cast down.
"Its ok i know what its like to be on the other end of that."He said almost crying.
"Now please stop before you make me cry."He said trying to laugh.
"I'll try..." Alicia said, wiping her eyes and trying to manage a smile. She hugged herself before looking at her insane furball.
She looked around the commonroom and up the stairs, anything to get her mind off of home. She looked back at Josh, a twinkle in her eyes, "Do you like cheese?"
She often asked people this when she didn't know what to say, and her mind was starting to wander in the direction of home and Lynna. She smiled as she asked this, and looked at the cat again, "Mittens does."
"Yes i like cheese."Josh said looking at Alicia kinda oddly.
Alicia giggled at the look that Josh gave her and smiled, "It always cheers me up to find someone who likes cheese..."
She looked at the fire and mentally sighed. Talking about something as random as cheese was a very good way for her to get her mind off everything.
She curled up in a tighter ball and heard a snap!
Oh great, not again......... Alicia's face reddened and she sighed. She reached down into her back pocket, pulling out a broken quill. She glared at it and then changed her look to one of helplessness. She shook her head, "Not again... second one today! It's not fair!"
"Im guessing you have a knak for breaking quills?"He said smiling.
Alicia rolled her eyes, "You have noooo idea..."
She looked around, "Do you have a quill or something... I've run out of my supply a long time ago... I have to keep asking for quills."
"Umm..."He put Mittens on the couch as he got up he snuck behind a 5th year he knew from last year and took a quill from his pack-povket.Josh went over to Alicia."There you go."
Alicia had looked at Mittens when he took the quill, or she would have thought that it was bad that he was stealing... But she didn't see it, so she assumed that he had gotten it from his stash or something of the like and smiled at him, "Thank you!"
Mittens merowed and climbed onto the top of the couch and walked along it until she was as close as she could be to Josh. Alicia laughed, "I think someone still wants to be petted."
Alicia smiled at Mittens meowed again in a demanding tone for a kitten.
Josh sat down on the couch andd looked up at the little kitten.
Mittens mewed happily and purred, rubbing her head against the top of Josh's before jumping down and landing in his lap, resuming her curled up position, waiting for him to pet her.
All Alicia could do was laugh. She had never seen Mittens act this way. She smiled and fiddled with the quill in her hand.
The fifth year that the quill had been taken from just realized that his quill had been filched. He looked around, an angry expression on his face, but kept quiet. Alicia didn't really notice him at all.
"Hey Jeremy calm down im sure its somewere."He said petting Mittens.
Alicia blinked and looked back at the boy, not knowing why he was mad. She shrugged and looked at Mittens, who, again, was in kitty heaven. She smiled and shook her head at the same time, muttering, "Hopeless cat."
"So did you like the train ride here?"Josh said as he rembered circling around train when it was leaving this year.
"Yeah! It was great. I haven't really riden in trains that much... only cars. My family really hasn't gone on trips that trains would be more efficient."
She smiled and closed her eyes. She looked very sweet, but she didn't know it. She opened her eyes again and remembered the train, "I was alone though."
"Trains are very efficient. Except when they crash."
Xaver simply appeared behind her chair, toying with her broken quill between his fingers. He had donned a loose black shirt, his regular faded dark jeans, and some black shoes, though his regular attire was out of balance, for his tired air had all but gone. He had taken an early morning run this morning, and the 'pull and strain' had helped ease his mind a bit and let him think a little easier.
He offered her the quill, of which looked brand new, and perfectly fixed, secured a bit more, even, grinning slightly.
"And if it pleases you, I like cheese too."
"Oh!" Alicia jumped a little as the boy appeared behind her chair. She looked at him and tilted her head as he offered her the quill. She already had one now since Josh had given her one, but having two was never bad. She took it and smiled at him, "Thank you."
She laughed at his statement about the cheese and smiled. Her mind was off of Lynna for once, though she, of course, didn't realize it.
"Trains never suited my family, though," Alicia said.
"Me neither. I like flying."
He winked, smiling, and bowed slightly, with the formality of the courts, but with a prankster's grace. Easy going, but serious.
"I'm Xaver."
Xaver smiled slightly, though it faded quickly.
"You have a sister?"
"Our family mainly uses floo powder."Josh said looking at Xavier.
"Floo powder?" Being a muggle-born, she was ignorant of most magical things, "What's floo powder?"
She blushed when the boy bowed and blinked. You didn't see many boys do that. She smiled but her eyes gained a sad look when he asked about her sister, "Yes, I do. She's jealous and doesn't talk to me anymore.
She looked up at him, "My name's Alicia."
"Floo powder is green powder that when you throw it down in a fireplace and say your destination it takes you there.Just like a teleporter."
Xaver smiled, a lopsided, half-hearted smile, but a reassuring one.
"My little sister doesn't talk to me much, because she is so little and so far away, and because most of the time, I'm a 'rude, ignorant dolt', as she says."
Xaver straightened, hooking his thumbs in his pockets, smiling.
"Alicia, pleased to meet you. And good to see you, Josh."
"I see. So it takes you anywhere?" Alicia asked. She looked at Josh, an eyebrow raised. Then she looked back at Xaver.
"That's really sad. I just wish my sister had gotten in, maybe she and I could have hung out together," Alicia sighed.
"Thank you," Alicia replied, smiling.
"You are welcome, Milady," Xaver replied, grabbing the arm of a spare chair, and dragging it away from the fire, and into a colder area, next to the open window.
"And if it is not to bold of me, everything happens for a reason, Alicia. Maybe it's not always clear why. Perhaps there is a reason your sister was not accepted, and you were. Maybe it's just not clear yet."
He smiled at her, thendisappeared by dropping in the chair, facing the window.
"Good to see you to ,and just outta curiousity have i seen you before?"Josh said thinking deeply.
"Probably," Xaver replied from around the chair. "Hogwarts, savvy?"
There was a chuckle.
"Yeah, I've seen you before. You are Ginny's little brother."
Alicia bit her lip and thought about that. There might have been a reason her sister never made it in. It troubled her, trying to think of anything that would stop Lynna from being accepted. She shook her head, unable to come up with the slightest thing. Xaver was right, she would wait and see if something came up to answer the question of why Lynna was not accepted.
Alicia's eyes had unfocused as she thought, but they snapped back and she heard Xaver talking. She blinked and looked at the chair's back, thinking.
Xaver rose from the chair, leaning his hands on the window, staring outside much like a caged animal does to the free world. He fought it, continuously, but tasting the rain was his undoing. He turned his head slightly, just enough so he could see Alicia out of the corner of his eye.
"Want to go flying?"
"Flying? How?" Alicia asked, her eyes sparking with excitement. It sounded interesting to her, and she wanted to go. She looked at him with wide eyes and nodded, "Sure."
"Flying as in broom right?"Josh said eyeing Xavier."And it is very cold out,if your going on broom."
Xaver grinned at them both. He went over to Alicia, took her hand, and gently tugged her to stand. His eyes darkened slightly, before returning to normal, as a flicker of pent-up energy was released. Broad, black, satin wings erupted from his back, shredding the back of his shirt, but he didn't care about that. He rolled his shoulders, and a sudden grin stretched across his lips.
"No brooms."
His wings fluttered slightly, and his grin broadened, and he started toward the window, waving for Alicia to follow.
"Wow never seen that before,and ive seen some crazy things."
Alicia eyes widened exitedly and her eyes seemed to dance. She walked over eagerly, looking at his wings, "Oh! They're so cool! May I... touch them?"
She had this huge urge to touch his wings. They were so amazing. She smiled happily up at Xaver and absently brushed her bangs out of her face.
Xaver grinned slightly, and whispered a low chuckle, and nodded, turning slightly so that the satiny feathers would gently brush her. He rested his elbow on the windowsill, smiling at them both, before looking once more, longingly out the window.
Alicia brushed her hand against one of the silky feathers and shivered with pleasure. They felt so awesome. She immediatly fell in love with his wings and she looked up at him, seeing that he was gazing out of the window longingly.
"Well, now that that's over.... Let's go!" Alicia said, grinning. Her whole body was strung with exhilaration and suspense at the thought of flying over everything.
Xaver laughed aloud, grinned, and turned, so his back was to her. He sat, more like perched, on the windowsill, turning his head to face her. His wings trembled with excitement, and he nearly laughed again.
"Come here, and wrap your arms around my neck. Piggyback ride, like."
The pretty much forgotten Mittens mewed softly as her blue eyes watched Alicia. She looked at Xaver, and her eyes showed interest in his wings, but she was drowsy from the earlier playing, and the heavenly petting.
Alicia looked back quickly, smiling, "Be good Mittens, I'll be back. Don't get into trouble."
Mittens yawned and closed her eyes, truely asleep.
Alicia wrapped her arms around Xaver's neck, the wings brushing her softly, sending shivers down her spine. She nodded and said, "I'm ready."
"Xaver, if you drop her, I will beat you black and blue." Ginny said from the doorway.
Xaver grinned brilliantly at the small redhead just entering. He bowed his head.
"Only on best wishes, Milady."
Xaver nodded, grasped the window edges, and simply pulled himself, and with ease, Alicia along as well, out the window, and simply dropping. He tucked his wings close, and allowed them to plummet at an entirely amazing undiluted speed, until just before they hit the ground, his black wings opened, broad and wide against their rapid downfall. He twirled slightly, one hand resting over one of her arms against his neck, to be sure she wouldn't fall, his wings opening wider and beating with a glorious, casual pace, propelling them up, higher and higher, all the while, Xaver laughing like a madman.
"Xaver, you be careful!" Ginny said, running to the window and leaning out.
"I swear to the heavens I will hurt you if she gets even one scratch!"
Alicia felt a rush of adrenaline as they plumetted towards the earth at a fantastic rate. She held on tightly as he twirled and gained altitude. She looked around at the view and gasped at all she saw. The castle's surroundings were beautiful. This whole trip was amazing to her. She blinked as he laughed, and guessed that he didn't get to fly much. She smiled warmly, the wind brushing back her hair from her face. The wind, chilled, but refreshing, felt good after being close to the fire in the common room. She gazed widely as she looked back at Ginny. This is wonderful, and fun! I love it, Alicia kept thinking to herself. She was extremely glad that she was not afraid of heights.
"This is fantastic!" She said in his ear, exciting pleasure seeping into her voice.
-I'd never let someone drop, Gin. Unless I really didn't like them. I won't hurt her, promise,- he sent to Ginny by thought.
Xaver didn't answer Alicia, he couldn't really, his mind dazed with the pure freeness he rarely felt. He spun, his laugh echoing his wild sense of amusement. He accelerated and dropped, skimming the surface of the lake with his fingers, rising, the steady beat of his wings as rhythmic as his pounding heart. He laughed again, madly.
(sorry, my muse is gone, lol)
Josh picked up the kitten and started petting it again."Nice wongs that guy has eh?"
(wongs...OMG! :o Lolz)
"His wings? Yeah, they are beautiful." Ginny said, glancing at Josh, then glancing worridly out the window.
(lolz sorry typo ;D )
"They are so cool."